U S CONGRESS I Constitutional Provisions Exogenous Structural Rules Congress as First Branch powerful important A Organizational Structure Bicameral 1 House of Representatives 2 year term direct election population based representation reapportionment chooses own leader Speaker of the House 2 Senate 6 year term originally indirect now direct election 17th amendment state based representation leader imposed by Constitution Vice President President of the Senate I B Temporal Structure chronological organization 1 Two year congress ends with each election 2013 113th Congress 1st Session 2 All internal rules adopted at start of new congress 3 All bills must pass within a congress or they die C Important Powers Enumerated 1 Tax H R initiates 2 Appropriation Spend Money 3 Regulate Interstate Commerce 4 Declare War 5 Organize Judicial and Executive Branches 6 Confirm Executive Judicial Appointees Senate 7 Removal Power of Executive and Judicial Officials 8 Can Elect President H R Vice president Senate 9 Necessary and Proper Clause The Necessary and Proper Clause Congress Elastic Clause Article I Section 8 The Congress shall have Power To 18 specific grants of powers are then listed And To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States or in any Department or Officer thereof II Membership A Describing the Members of Congress 1 Demographic and Occupational Characteristics a descriptive representation shared traits b policy representation shared views 2 Incumbents a 90 success for those seeking reelection b 15 turnover rate due to retirements c 10 15 serve 20 years B Member Goals and Their Implications 1 Reelection impact of Seniority Rule 2 In house Influence 3 Make Good Policy 18 As a Percentage of U S Population 2000 10 Women 50 8 African Americans 13 6 7 Hispanics 16 3 Occupational Composition 113th Congress House Mean 94 7 Senate Mean 84 9 II C How Members Get Selected 1 Single Member Plurality Districts System a one man one vote applied to House Wesberry v Sanders 1964 b gerrymandering 2 Incumbency Advantage Name Recognition a claim credit pork barrel b casework constituency service c position taking d government funded resources 1 3 million for House in 2012 e g staffing the franking privilege e campaign finance support 2 to 1 advantage over challengers f challenger intimidation Quality Challengers wait for an open seat g Wild Card national trends e g Iraq War in 2006 Gerrymandering Drawing Electoral Boundaries for Political Advantage Cracking the Minority Packing the Minority Cracking the Majority unlikely Redistricting Plan 3 Plan 2 Kidnapping Examples of Credit Claiming Porkbarrel Representation Casework Representation 2005 50 7 1972 22 5 An Example of the Franking Privilege 2010 Incumbents 1 552 895 Challenger Spending as a Percent of Incumbent Spending 2010 Challengers 695 127 1974 Incumbents 56 539 1994 Challengers 40 015 1974 70 8 2010 44 8 III Institutional Characteristics Endogenous Structural Rules A Committee System 1 Description subsets of members authorized to perform functions for the chamber investigate issues recommend bills regulate legislative process 2 Reasons for Committees a Workload specialization b Chairs power opportunities 3 Types of Committees a Standing one chamber permanent reports bills gatekeepers of the legislative process b Temporary select or special one chamber investigates usually does not report bills c Joint two chambers usually does not report bills d Conference Joint Temporary reconciles House and Senate versions of bill STANDING COMMITTEES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 113TH CONGRESS Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education and Workforce Energy and Commerce Ethics Financial Services Foreign Affairs Homeland Security House Administration Judiciary Natural Resources Oversight and Government Reform Rules Science and Technology Small Business Transportation and Infrastructure Veterans Affairs Ways and Means Mean 49 8 Bills Introduced Day Mean Percentage of Introduced Bills That Pass 6 3 Mean 3 2 Bills Passed Day III A 4 Committee Functions especially Standing Committees a Conduct research collect analyze information b Provide expertise recommend bills to chamber c Act as political agents build support for bills modify bills to reduce opposition 5 Consequences of Committee System a Fragmentation and Decentralization of Chamber s Power to Subsets of Members b Specialization of Members in Preferred Policy Issues c Reciprocity of Influence Chamber Defers to Committees Judgments about Policy within Their Jurisdiction III B The Party System 1 Structure hierarchical centralized within chambers 2 Leadership Task institutional Coherence a set chamber agenda b build coalitions within chamber c liaison with other chamber president 3 Leadership Powers a formal set by chamber at start of each congress run caucus that assigns members to committees appoint party members to Rules Committee recognize speakers on the floor refer bills to standing committees appoint party members to temporary committees b informal informational advantages Party Leadership Structure in Congress Constitution House Speaker of the House Elected by members Chamber Majority Leader Senate President of the Senate Vice President of U S Minority Leader Majority Leader Minority Leader Rules Whips Rank File Whips Rank File Within Each Party Organization Caucuses For example Policy Campaign Finance Committee Assignments Whips Rank File Whips Rank File III B 4 Party System Effects Centralize Authority a Weak leaders lack control over nominations b Natural cohesion similar constituency views c Source of national orientation within chamber C Changes in Power of Committees and Parties H R Endogenous rules balance of power changes with changes in members values 1 through 1900s Dominated by Speaker of the House no careerism ideological homogeneity members rely on Speaker to organize House members gain power by obeying Speaker 2 1910 Revolt against Speaker Adopt Seniority Rule Progressive vs pro business Republicans Progressives gain committee power through seniority III C 3 1930s 70s Committee Government Democratic majority ideologically diverse Speaker weaker power over agenda committees Committees more power on bills reported to the floor 4 1980s 2010 Stronger Speakers Parties Why Increased Ideological Homogeneity in Majority Party Majority more