Chapter 13 Congress

Reading Questions
1. What is the paradox regarding Congress and public opinion?
a. The paradox of public opinion regarding Congress refers to the dynamic that public
opinion of Congress is low, however many people approve of their own representatives.
Congress is composed of 435 Representatives and 100 Senators.
2. How does the book describe partisan polarization in Congress? What is the explanation for why
Congress today seems more polarized than it did up until the 1970s?
a. A vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican
legislators.
b. There is a now a lack of liberal republicans and conservative democrats in the house.
There are fewer democrats to oppose the republican legislators.
3. Summarize the differences between Congress and a parliament and how these fundamental
differences influence the character of the U.S. Congress.
a. c-runs in a primary election selected by voters on personalities and positions on issues
b. p-to become candidate he/she persuades their party to put his/her name on ballet
c. p-In elections voters choose 2 to 3 parties not people
d. c-vote for person not party
e. p-loyal to national party leadership
f. c-ind. representative of district
g. ~prime minister vs. pres.
h. p-kept in line, often agree with minister
i. c-separate from pres.
j. c-representation & action
k. p-debate to make decisions
l. c-members have more power
m. p-members have little power
n. -represent states not parties, so concerned with their own constituencies & careers
o. worrying about voters more important than worrying about pres
p. decentralized institution
q. worried more about own views & voters, than pres views
4. Why is Congress a decentralized institution and why is Congress inevitably unpopular with
voters.
a. A decentralized Congress protects and enhances individual interest, although quick
decision making is sacrificed and delays and discussion must be allowed. However, the
delays in time can lead to more thoughtful decision making.
b. Congress doesn't represent the viewpoint of the people and they are slow in their decision
making.
5. Read through the six phases of the House of Representatives so that you are clear about the rules
changes and the balance of power between the Speaker and committee chairmen. Briefly
summarize phases five-six. (It is not important for you to learn the name of individual Speakers
except for Newt Gingrich unless you want to be a history major or quiz bowl whiz.)
a. 5.) The Members Rule: In 1970 there was a rule change making the chairs elected on
majority rule (instead of seniority), requiring the chairs to attend meetings (instead of
refusing them), making meetings public, requiring subcommittees for communities and
allowing members to choose subcommittee chairs.
b. 6.) The Leadership Returns: 1995 efforts made to restore speaker's power, # of
committees and subcommittees reduced, republican speaker Gingrich dominated choice
of committee chairs and didn't pass appropriate bills. Hasert replaced him. He was

accommodating. Pelosi (110th)(first woman speaker in house) struck deals to get votes
for pres. health care overhaul plan. She was succeeded by Repub. Boehner (111th). He
was a pragmatic conservative and professional legislator. Opinions differ on how (and
how well) he would lead 112th cong.
6. How has the history and structure of the Senate meant that it would be different from the House
of Representatives?
a. It meant that Senators would be more important.
7. What were the main issues in the development of the Senate and how were these issues settled?
Make sure that you understand what these terms refer to: filibuster, cloture, Rule 22
a. The larger more populous states wanted a senate based on population. Of course the
smaller states objected because they would have been severely outnumbered. So both
sides compromised and made the House of Representatives (by population) and the
Senate (everyone has 2 representatives) together these two bodies make up. Ben Franklin
came up with the idea for Senate as a means of satisfying the small states.
b. Filibuster: The use of the Senates tradition of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to
block a bill.
c. Cloture: shuts off the discussion on a bill.
d. Rule 22: debate may be closed off on a bill if 16 senators sign a petition requesting it and
if, after two days have elapsed, three-fifths of the entire membership vote for cloture.
8. Summarize the points that Edmund Burke made in his speech to the Bristol Electors about the
responsibilities of a representative to his constituents.
a. It is his duty to sacrifice his repose, his pleasures, his satisfactions, to theirs; and above
all, ever, and in all cases, to prefer their interest to his own. But his unbiassed opinion, his
mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you, to any
man, or to any set of men living. These he does not derive from your pleasure; no, nor
from the law and the constitution.
9. Read the article by David Mahyew and make a list of what congressmen do to achieve reelection
10. Briefly summarize the trends in the sex and race of members of Congress.
11. Why have more congressional districts become safer for incumbent reelection?
12. What are the possible explanations for why the Democrats dominated Congress from 1933-1994?
13. Why has Congress become more ideologically partisan since the 1980s?
14. Summarize the three theories of how members of Congress behave.
15. Define malapportionment and gerrymandering. From the online article on Gerrymandering 101,
summarize what Minority Gerrymandering and packing are.
16. What is the sophomore surge? Why does it happen? What effects does it have?
17. Summarize the issues involved and the resolution in Baker v. Carr and Wesberry v. Sanders.
18. As you look at a typical Congressmans schedule in the David Price article, what do you notice that
he spends most of his time doing? What does he not have time to do according to this schedule?
19. What are the principal jobs and responsibilities in the party leadership in the Senate?
20. What are the formal and informal powers of the Speaker of the House?
21. Why are party votes in the House common?
22. What are caucuses and why are they important?
23. Define the four different types of committees.
24. How are committee chairs chosen, and how has this changed since the 1970s?
25. How has the committee structure changed since the 1970s to weaken party chairs? What has been the
effect of these changes and how does having a large staff create a demand for more staff?
26. What is the role of congressional staff?
27. What do the GAO, and CBO do?
28. You must know the 21 highlighted terms on pages 350 356. Will be on the quiz for this day.
29. What are the roles of committees and subcommittees and how does this affect the legislation that gets
passed?

30. What is the role of the House Rules Committee?

31. How can a filibuster be broken? What do the changes for breaking a filibuster mean for trying to pass
a bill in the Senate?
32. Think about it and give your opinion as to the impact the differences between the House and Senate
have on policy-making. You must know the chart on p. 353 summarizing the differences between the
House and Senate. Figure out a way to learn it.
33. Make a list of the different powers that the Constitution gives to either the House or Senate. This is a
review question and you should be able to do it off the top of your head. Then go check yourself by
looking at the Constitution. (Its in an appendix in the back of the book). Read through Article I, Sections
1, 3, and 7 and Article II, Section 2. Add in anything you may have forgotten.
34. Using the articles by Gregory Wawro and Eric Schickler and the article by Barbara Sinclair, make a
list of reasons why Congress is sometimes not able to accomplish much.
35. Summarize why Justice Scalia thinks that Americans should learn to love gridlock.
36. In general, what type of rules are there to make sure our Congress members are ethical?
37. After reading the articles by Paul Starobin, John Ellwood, and Eric Patashik, John McCain, and Brian
Riedl, make a list of the arguments for and against pork. Include arguments from the textbook.

Terms to Know
1.

franking privilege- a
benefit that allows
members of Congress to
send letters and other
packages postage free.

28.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

56.

Simple resolution

2.

Unicameral- a single
chamber legislature
Bicameral- a two chamber
legislature
Speaker of the Housepresiding officer over the
House of Representatives
that is elected by the
majority party; very
influential in the
proceedings and systems of
the House (such as the
process of a bill's
consideration)
Newt Gingrich- Republican
Speaker Newt Gingrich
dominated the choice of
committee chairs, often
passing over more senior
members for more
agreeable junior ones. But
Gingrich's demise was as
quick as his rise. His

29.

descriptive representation

57.

Concurrent resolution

30.

substantive representation

58.

Joint resolution

31.

sophomore surge

59.

multiple referral

32.

privileged speech

60.

sequential referral

3.
4.

5.

6.

7.
8.

decision not to pass some

appropriations bills forced
many government offices
to close for a short period,
he had to pay a fine for
using tax-exempt funds for
political purposes, and then
the Republicans lost a
number of seats in the 1998
election. Gingrich resigned
as Speaker and as a
member of the House and
was replaced by a more
moderate Speaker,
Republican Dennis Hastert
of Illinois, with a penchant
for accommodating his
colleagues.
Nancy Pelosi- When the
33.
the 110th Congress began
in 2007, Democrat Nancy
Pelosi of California held
the Speaker's gavel. Pelosi
was the sixtieth Speaker in
House history but the first
woman to lead the House.
She presided over many
battles with the House's
GOP leaders, but her most
memorable role as Speaker
occurred in 2010 when she
struck assorted (and some
critics claimed sordid)
deals with members of her
own party to garner their
votes for the president's
sweeping health care
overhaul plan. Following
heavy Democratic losses in
the 2010 midterm elections,
in January 2011 Pelosi was
succeeded as Speaker by
Republican John Boehner
of Ohio.
Harry Reid- Senate
34.
Minority Leader (2015)
Party caucus- a meeting of 35.
the local members of a
political party especially to
select delegates to a

Edmund Burke

61.

discharge petition

Representational theory

62.

closed rule

Organizational theory

63

open rule

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

convention or register
preferences for candidates
running for office
Rules Committee- a special
committee of the U.S.
House of Representatives
having the authority to
establish rules or methods
for expediting legislative
action (such as a bill)
Filibuster- an attempt to
defeat a bill in the Senate
by talking indefinitely and
preventing the Senate from
taking action on the bill
17th Amendment- direct
election of U.S. Senators
by popular vote
Rule 22- states that debate
in the Senate could be cut
off if two-thirds of the
Senators present and voting
agreed to a cloture motion
Cloture- a procedure for
ending a debate and taking
a vote
term limits- number of
terms an elected official
can serve
US Term Limits, Inc. v.
Thornton (1995)Holding: States cannot
impose qualifications for
prospective members of
Congress stricter than
those in the Constitution
Marginal districts- political
districts in which
candidates elected to the
House of Representatives
win in close elections,
typically by less than 55
percent of the vote
Safe districts- districts in
which incumbents win by
margins of 55 percent or
more

36.

Attitudinal theory

64.

restrictive rule

37.

President Pro Tempore

65.

quorum

38.

Majority and Minority leaders

66.

quorum call

39.

Party Whip

67.

cloture rule

40.

Steering Committee (D)

68.

double-tracking

41.

Committee on Committees (R)

69.

roll-call vote

42.

Policy Committee

70.

rider

43.

Party polarization

71.

Christmas tree bill

44.

Caucus

72.

Committee of the Whole

18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

House Banking scandal

House Post office scandal
Reapportionment
redistricting
malapportionment
gerrymandering
majority-minority districts
Wesberry v. Sanders 1964

45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.

Congressional Black Caucus

Blue Dog Democrats
Standing Committees
Select Committees
Joint Committees
Conference Committees
seniority system
Congressional Research Service

26.
27.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

one man, one vote

53.
54.

General Accounting Office (GAO)

73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.

Pork-Barrel
Earmarks
Congressional courtesy
logrolling
Nongermane amendment
Unanimous consent
Holds
Constituent service or
casework

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Questions and Themes

Demographics in general of those in Congress

Elements of the Constitution that relate to Congress and its powers Article I: delegated powers,
qualifications for serving in House and Senate
Reasons for a bicameral legislature
Differences b/t House and Senate; vote requirements
Powers of the Senate and House
Non-legislative tasks of Congress: legislative oversight, public education, representing
constituents within government, casework
o Delegate vs. trustee model
Power of Senate to advise and consent to nominations and treaties
Filibuster, cloture, Rule 22, impact of filibuster on climate of Senate
Types of Committees in Cong: standing, joint, select, conference
o Standing only ones to write legislation and conduct oversight
Evolution of House rules since 1970s
Job of Speaker. Majority/Minority Leader/ Pro-tem, what do Whips do? How can party
leadership affect legislative process
House Ways and Means/Senate Finance > taxes
Appropriations > how money is apportioned to federal agencies
How a bill becomes a law and where a bill can be killed
Resolutions: simple and concurrent
Important Committees: House Rules what it can do, House Ways and Means, Senate Finance,
Appropriations Committee
Mark up; Discharge Petition; Franking privilege
Advantages of incumbents: credit claiming, constituent service or casework
Role of lobbyists and IGs
Advantages and disadvantages of committee system, role of subcommittees
Pork barrel legislation, earmarks
What affects how congressmen vote? What are the pressures on them to vote?
o Presidential jawboning
o Logrolling
o PACS, IGs
o Constituents
o Ideology, religious beliefs

o Party Affiliation most important factor

Baker v. Carr, Wesberry v. Sanders, and Shaw v. Reno
Effect of 1982 Voting Rights Act to encourage states to create majority minority districts
o Impact of having majority-minority districts
o What has the Supreme Court said about race as a factor? Principles in districting?
Reapportionment and redistricting what is the difference?
o Census, apportionment, malapportionment, redistricting, gerrymandering, racial
gerrymandering
Who becomes chair of committees, how committee assignments are determined; majority party
has majority on committees; Seniority system
Congressional caucuses: party and other caucuses
Term limits debate: arguments on each side
Changes made after 1994 election by Gingrich Republicans in House
Role of the parties in Congress
Oversight function of executive branch, bureaucracy
Specialization in Congress
How Congress reasserted its powers after Nixon what made 1974 an earthquake in the power
system
How impeachment works