POL 106 1st Edition Lecture 13 Outline of Last Lecture I. 11th AmendmentII. 12th AmendmentIII. 13th AmendmentIV. 14th AmendmentV. 15th AmendmentVI. 16th AmendmentVII. 17th AmendmentVIII. 18th AmendmentIX. 19th AmendmentX. 20th AmendmentXI. 21st AmendmentXII. 22nd AmendmentXIII. 23rd AmendmentXIV. 24th AmendmentXV. 25th AmendmentXVI. 26th AmendmentXVII. 27th AmendmentOutline of Current Lecture I. Representation and LawmakingII. Checks and BalancesIII. Congressional ElectionsIV. Committees and BillsV. Citizenship and CongressCurrent Lecture Representation and LawmakingRepresentation: The efforts by elected officials to look out for the interest of those who elect them, including keeping election promises made to voters- Policy Representation: Congressional work to advance the issues and ideological preferences of constituentsThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Allocative Representation: Congressional work to secure projects, services, and funds for the represented districto Pork Barrel/Ear Mark: Public works projects and grants for specific districts paid for by general revenues- Casework: Legislative work on behalf of individual constituents to solve their problems with government agencies and programs- Symbolic Representation: Efforts of members of Congress to stand for American ideals or identify with common constituency valuesLawmaking: The creation of policy to address the problems and needs of the entire nation, including making laws that help keep the country runningPartisanship: The loyalty to a party that helps shape how members see the world, how they define problems, and how they identify appropriate solutions- Polarization: How great the ideological differences are between the two parties and in how much ideological agreement there is within them- Hyperpartisanship: A commitment to a party so strong that it can transcend other commitments, leading members to choose party over constituent or over the national interest- Party Polarization: The ideological distance between the parties and the ideological homogeneity within themConflict Between Representation and Lawmaking:- local good is different from national good, and members favor representing their local constituencies- difficult for members to fulfill their collective responsibility of national lawmaking- explains why Americans hate Congress as a whole but love their own senators and representativesEX) a member of Congress might vote to pass a budget needed to keep the country running, but it might have a provision to raise taxes slightly, which she promised voters she would not doDifferences Between the House and Senate: Checks and BalancesCongress and the President:- Congress passes bills; president signs or vetoes- President’s State of the Union address formulates policy- President executes laws and is in charge of administering executive branch- Congress exercises oversight of executive branch activities- President appoints cabinet, ambassadors, judges to federal courts but Senate has “advise and consent” role- President represents national constituency- Congress represents district or state constituenciesCongress and the Judiciary:- Congress makes the laws; the courts interpret them- Congress sets up lower federal courts, determines salaries- Congress decides jurisdiction for courts to hear cases- Congress passes legislation that limits courts’ discretion to rule or impose sentences Congressional Elections:Reapportionment: A reallocation of congressional seats among the states every ten years, following the censusRedistricting: Process of redrawing of district lines in states with more than one representative (carried out by state legislators or commission)Gerrymandering: Redistricting to benefit a particular group- Pro-incumbent Gerrymandering: Districts redrawn to maximize the chances of an incumbent wining- Partisan Gerrymandering: The process in a particular state legislature whereby the majority party draws districts to maximize the number of House seats their party can win- Racial Gerrymandering: Redistricting to enhance or reduce the chances that a racial or ethnic group will elect members to the legislatureo Majority-minority districts after Voting Rights Act (1982)o Deemed unconstitutional by Supreme CourtAdvantages to Running for Congress: sense of duty, policy, ideology, pay, perks, powerDisadvantages to Running for Congress: hard work, low job security, expensiveDescriptive Representation: The idea that an elected body should mirror demographically the population it represents- Congress does NOT represent the public demographically- Vast majority of members of Congress are white malesCentral Role of a Party:- Parties frequently vote in unison in Congress- Majority party controls leadership structure- Increasing prevalence of hyperpartisanshipSpeaker of the House: Majority party leader, serves as presiding officer of the House. Third in line to the president in terms of presidential succession.- Speaker has more power in House than majority leader has in Senate- Our first female Speaker was replaced after 2010 midterm election due to change in House majority- Leadership power depends on person and amount of power given by party members Committees and BillsStanding Committees: Permanent committees responsible for legislation in particular policy areas- Draft legislation and provide oversight- Committee chairs wield considerable power- House Rules Committee: Determines how and when debate on a bill will take place (no rules committee in the senate)Select Committees: Appointed to deal with an issue or a problem not suited to a standing committeeJoint Committees: Combined House-Senate committee formed to coordinate activities and expedite legislation in a certain areaConference Committees: Formed temporarily to reconcile differences in House and Senate versions of a bill- May alter or rewrite legislation- Congressional resources (staff and bureaucracy) have grown**Getting on the “right” committee is essential for members of CongressHow a Bill Becomes a Law:- Separate houses, identical bills- Fragmentation of legislative powero Committees break up legislation- Norms of Conduct: Informal rules that govern behavior in Congresso Norms