Chapter 12 Major Areas cid 2 1 Tradeoffs faced by members Trustee vs Delegate Representation cid 2 Trustee When a member of congress listens to his constituents wants and needs but uses his own judgment to determine what is best for his constituents and the country as a whole Consideration on what is better for you makes judgment Constituents voters people you represent they pple with constituents vote for us cid 2 Delegate The representative makes governing decisions based on will of the constituents Make the vote that you want with no judgment almost every member of congress wants to do this cid 2 Edmund Burke Said trustee was better so he lost the election cid 2 Party vs Individual They are members of a party but run as individuals Their views don t always match the party s but need the support Sometimes they vote with their district just to win a seat over the funding etc other party cid 2 2 Representation and Elections Sociological Representation Reps have the same racial gender ethnic religious or educational background as their educational backgrounds as their constituents may look like them It s good to look like them be like them b c you trust them more since cid 2 they know your needs cid 2 Demographic Representation Congress should mirror voters Like congress should be 50 women but it s not It doesn t really exist it s just an idea Achieving it is not ideal b c you re dealing with race religion etc Agency Representation When representatives are held accountable to their constituents if they fail to properly represent their views cid 2 If we can vote them out of office they will do well The Electoral College cid 2 David Mayhew 1974 wrote Congress the electoral connection Understand how congress acts Electoral connection their main objective is reelection their most Congress represents us and makes laws so they have policy important goal preferences cid 2 Congress does 3 things to get reelected 1 Advertising Cultivating a brand name creating a favorable image of themselves Credit claiming generated belief that you are and can be personally responsible for creating and causing government action cid 2 Goal to let people view you as something can be done cid 2 Ex Casework something an office does for them proof cid 2 Small gov individual Position taking announcing a judgmental statement on anything likely to be of interest to voters be aware of constituents cid 2 Flip flopper Keep changing views cid 2 Homestyle act like their constituents how you act at home and relate to members Constituents cid 2 People who you represent we are their constituents cid 2 Geographic 1st largest the area which you represent Ex districts of GA like you represent the 10th district Don t focus on this too much because it contains everyone even people who can t vote they focus on those who can cid 2 Reelection everyone who is eligible to vote or those who do cid 2 Primary people who are likely to vote for you cid 2 Personal people who you know the most passionate about you cid 2 Goal to take people from reelection to primary and maximize primary constituency Incumbency Incumbent person already in office cid 2 cid 2 Most important advantage 98 or above chance of reelection cid 2 Almost everyone in house retains seat senate about 90 cid 2 Advantages Name recognition know them more likely to vote for them Fundraising Already successfully ran a campaign and fundraised more likely to donate to a winner and they are already there so they can affect congress Casework particularized benefits credit claiming seen as someone Franking send home mail to members of the district for free this is who accomplishes things everything I have done Self Selection they choose to run for reelection if they think they are going to lose they step down and don t run Gerrymandering Drawing districts to favor a certain group or political party cid 2 Favored People done to favor incumbent creates safe seat 2 The way districts were drawn and people were cid 2 Partisan represented to favor 1 party Majority Minority cid 2 Racial but win everything else Would work out well for republicans b c they lose the minority cid 2 Districts drawn by state legislature changes who gets elected GA republican state legislature they can redraw them whenever they want cid 2 Easier to unseat a person in senate governors run for a senate seat b c it is more attractive Legislative Seats cid 2 435 house districts scattered among 50 states each state gets 1 seat cid 2 The rest of the seats are divided among the population cid 2 Apportionment the dividing up of legislative seats the drawing of district lines affects cid 2 Census survey to see how many people there are every 10 yrs apportionment based on censes cid 2 Baker v Carr 1962 One person one vote Used to be that all states had the same amount of votes Now apportionment is based on population within state cid 2 3 Organization 2 chambers 535 members that must all work together to agree on something like a bill Party Is important cid 2 Leadership selection leader cid 2 Committee Makeup cid 2 Communication Leadership cid 2 House based on party only people in party vote for party determines who is on a committee Party leaders work out a deal Speaker of the House Most powerful they schedule floor debates most visible ours is John Banner Minority Leader Leader of minority party most powerful of minority party there is also a majority leader Whips ensure that party members are staying in line and are voting correctly cid 2 Senate tie cid 2 Ex make republicans vote for this or that Vice President Joe Biden President of the senate casts vote in a President Pro Tempore the presiding offer 3 cid 2 Takes over in VP s absence cid 2 Most senior member in the majority party old Majority Leader Harry Read most powerful chosen by the majority Minority Leader most important of minority leader Nancy Polosi leader look down controls their party in senate Whips same thing look up Other notes cid 2 Speaker of the house is the most powerful cid 2 Majority party picks the speaker of the house cid 2 VP Speaker of the House Pres Pro Temp line of succession Committees cid 2 Most legislation happens in committees cid 2 Focus on whether they do law making and are temporary or permanent cid 2 Some are only certain things Bill gets sent to congress then to the appropriate committee standing cid 2 Types of Committees Standing A permanent committee with power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject