Slides

1. POL 205
Spring 2018

5. Article I of the Constitution
establishes the legislative branch.

6.  Larger chamber
 Representation by
state population
 Mode of Election
 People

7.  Smaller chamber
 Representation
through equality
 Mode of Election
 State Legislatures
 People

11. FORMALISTIC
REPRESENTATION
 Accountability and
responsiveness
 Includes:
 Policy Representation
 Allocative Representation
 Casework
Casework includes helping constituents
with an array of services.

12. SYMBOLIC
REPRESENTATION
 Represents positive values
about politics and govt.
DESCRIPTIVE
REPRESENTATION
 Representation includes
race, ethnicity, gender
 Congress looks like America
Former President Obama speaks
to students in Arlington, VA

15. SUBSTANTIVE
REPRESENTATION
SEN.TAMMY BALDWIN (D-WI)
 Legislators advocate for
particular groups in society
Sen. Baldwin could advocate
for pro-LGBT policies
for all homosexuals in America.

17.  #1: Lawmaking
 Enumerated Powers (Article I, Section 8)
 “Necessary and Proper Clause”, Implied Powers
 #2:War and Foreign Policy
 Formal Declarations and Military Operations
 #3: Regulation of Commerce
 Monopolies, Labor Unions, Wages, Discrimination
 #4: Appropriations
 “Power of the Purse”

18.  #5: Impeachment
 “High Crimes and Misdemeanors”
 House brings charges; Senate conducts trial
 #6: Oversight
 Hearings, Feedback, Reports, Investigations
 #7:Treaties and Appointments
 Senate ratifies treaties, confirms appointments
 #8:Taxation
 All bills for raising revenue must originate in the House.

20.  Is this a district or state I can win?
 Can I beat my opponent?
 Issue of Incumbency Advantage
 Can I get money to run winning campaign?
 How are the national trends running?

24.  Congress organized along party lines.
 Parties allow for competing issue positions
 Polarization: Distance between political parties

26.  Speaker of the House: Paul Ryan (R-WI)
 Presiding officer of the House
 Leader and chief spokesman for majority party
 House Majority Leader: Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
 Works with Speaker on party agenda
 Coordinates with committees on legislation
 House Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
 Highest-ranking minority party member
 Spokeswoman for minority and crafts agenda

28.  President of the Senate: VP Mike Pence
 Presides over Senate and votes in case of a tie
 Rarely performs this job today
 President ProTempore: Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
 Majority party senator with longest tenure
 Largely ceremonial position

29. MAJORITY LEADER
MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY)
MINORITY LEADER
CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY)

30.  Managing party membership
 Scheduling Senate business for members
 Monitoring deliberations on Senate floor
 Intermediary for Congress andWhite House
 Representing party/Senate to media

32.  Congress is organized into committees.
 Majority party has majority of seats on cmte.
 Republicans in House and Senate
 Committee Chair from majority party
 Ranking Member from minority party

33.  Standing Committees
 Permanent Committees
 Major Policy Areas (e.g. Budget, Judiciary)
 Select or Special Committees
 Temporary Committees (e.g. investigations)
 Focused on narrow issues
 Joint Committees
 Both House and Senate membership
 Conference Committees
 Resolve House and Senate versions of passed legislation

37.  Ideas can come from anywhere:
 President, Constituents, fellow Congressmen, etc.
 Member introduces idea in form of a bill
 They are the bill’s sponsor
 After bill is introduced, cosponsors can
support the legislation

39.  Importance of Jurisdiction
 Most bills DIE in committee
 Bill assigned to a subcommittee
 Smaller group of legislators who focuses on one
part of committee’s issues

40.  Testimony on content and impact of a bill
 Main Purposes of Hearings:
 Draw attention to problem or issue
 Advantages and disadvantages to bill
 Express constituents’ questions and concerns

41.  Subcommittee drafts (marks up) the bill
 Bill goes back to full committee
 Committee conducts more hearings and
debate on bill
 If accepted, bill reported out of committee

43.  To proceed to the House floor, all bills must
pass through the House Rules Committee
 What is a rule?
 Influence of the majority on Rules Cmte.

44. HOLD
 Prevents bill from being
voted on for 24 hours
 Hold provides:
 Information on issue
 Concession from leadership or
White House
FILIBUSTER
 Endless speeches on topic
 Eliminated for executive
and judicial branch
nominees, including
Supreme Court

46.  Personal Opinion / Judgment
 Constituent Opinion
 Interest Groups

47.  Political Parties
 The President
 Logrolling

51. PRESIDENTIAL ACTION RESULT FOR BILL
President approves bill Bill becomes law
President disapproves bill and
vetoes it
Bill goes back to Congress,
where two-thirds majority in
each House can override
President does nothing with
the bill (pocket veto)
Automatically becomes law
within 10 days OR
bill is dead and must be re-
introduced in Congress