The document summarizes key aspects of the US legislative branch established in Article I of the Constitution. It describes the two chambers of Congress - the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House favors large states by having representation based on population, while the Senate favors small states by having equal representation for each state. The House has two-year terms to be more responsive to popular will, while the Senate has six-year terms to encourage deliberation.

1. POL 140
Fall 2014

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

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

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

9.  Debate between large
and small states
 House made large
states happy
 Senate made small
states happy
 Debate over appropriate
degree of popular
influence on government
 House: Two-year terms
 Responsive to popular will
 Senate: Six-year terms
 Slower and deliberative

12.  Constituency: Group of people in one’s
district or state who elects them to Congress

13.  House: Each member represents a
congressional district that lies within a state

14.  Senate: Each member runs “at-large” or
represents the entire state

15. RICHARD FENNO CONSTITUENCY GROUPS

16.  Geographic Constituency
 Reelection Constituency
 Primary Constituency
 Personal Constituency

17. DELEGATE
REPRESENTATION
 Representative follows
wishes and preferences of
their constituents
TRUSTEE REPRESENTATION
 Representative listens to
their constituents
 Makes up own mind on
best course of action

18. Hanna Pitkin

19.  Focuses on accountability and responsiveness
 Includes:
 Policy Representation
 Allocative Representation
 Casework

21.  Congressperson represents positive values
consistent with politics and government
 Examples: Speaking at high school and
inspiring youth to vote

22.  Representation should include factors such
as race, ethnicity, gender, etc.
 Congress should look like America. Does it?

23.  Representative could substantively
represent you even if not in district or state
Sen. Tammy Baldwin
(D-WI) could advocate for
pro-LGBT politics for
everyone in America.

25.  “Necessary and Proper Clause” (NPC)
 Congress able to carry out enumerated powers
 Implied Powers
 Powers added through NPC

26.  Formal Declaration of War
 Military Operations

27.  Congress has used Commerce Clause to:
 Break up monopolies
 Protect labor unions
 Set minimum wage
 Outlaw racial discrimination

28.  General welfare clause
 Congress appropriates money on programs it
authorizes through lawmaking
 Congress’s “power of the purse”

29.  President, Vice President, other officials
 Process is in two steps:
 1) House of Representatives votes on formal charges
against the federal official
 2) Senate conducts trial

30.  Congress’s oversight function helps it monitor how
executive branch implements law
 Hearings
 Public Feedback
 Reports from Executive Agencies
 Special Committees / Investigations

31.  Senate’s “advice and consent” power:
 Ratify Treaties
 Confirm presidential appointments to Supreme
Court and executive branch

32.  Bills for raising revenue originate in House

36.  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?

41.  Congress organized along party lines
 Parties = Competing issue positions
 Party Polarization
 Distance between two political parties

43. Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)

44.  Leader and chief spokesperson for majority
 Serves as presiding officer in the House

45. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

46.  Second-in-Command behind Speaker
 Works with Speaker to deciding agenda
 Coordinates with committee leaders on
hearings and pending legislation

47. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

48.  Highest-ranking member of minority party
 Serves as public spokesperson for minority
 Craft minority party’s position on issues

49. STEVE SCALISE (R-LA) STENY HOYER (D-MD)

50.  Find out how members intend to vote
 Persuade members to support party
positions

52. Vice President Joe Biden

53.  Presides over Senate and votes in case of tie
 Rarely happens in modern times

54. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

55.  Senator of majority party with longest
tenure in office
 Largely ceremonial position

56. MAJORITY LEADER
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV)
MINORITY LEADER
MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY)

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

58. DICK DURBIN (D-IL) JOHN CORNYN (R-TX)

59.  Unite senators in their respective parties
 Craft legislative proposals to pass a vote on
the Senate floor

61.  Almost all legislation that passes the House
and Senate goes through a committee
 Party with majority in each chamber also has
majority of seats in committee
 Republicans in House
 Democrats in Senate
 Committee Chair from majority party

62.  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

63.  Major Caucuses in Congress:
 Congressional Black Caucus
 Women’s Caucus
 Tea Party Caucus
 Why would someone join a caucus?

67.  Ideas can come from anywhere:
 POTUS, 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

69.  Standing Committee
 Permanent committee with power to write
legislation and report it to the full chamber
 Importance of Jurisdiction
 Committee Chair and Ranking Member
 Most bills die in committee

70.  Bill assigned to a subcommittee
 Smaller group of legislators who focuses on one
part of committee’s issues

71.  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

72.  Subcommittee drafts (or marks up) the bill
 Bill goes back to full committee
 Committee can conduct additional hearings
and debate on the bill
 If accepted, bill reported out of committee

74.  To proceed to the House floor, all bills must
pass through the House Rules Committee
 What is a rule?
 Closed Rule
 Open Rule

75.  Majority party structures debate to limit the
minority party’s opportunity to change a bill

76.  No official Rules Committee
 Use of unanimous consent agreements (UCAs)
 UCA’s similar to House Rules:
 Limit time for debate
 Determine allowable amendments
 No UCA = Anything Goes!

77.  Prevents a bill from being voted on in the
Senate for 24 hours
 Why would senators hold up a bill?
 More information on policy issue
 Get something from leadership or White House

78.  What is a filibuster?
 Powerful tool in Senate
 Endless speeches on topic
 Can it be stopped?
 Cloture is motion to end debate
 Requires three-fifths vote (60 senators)

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

81.  Political Parties
 The President
 Logrolling

83.  What if different versions of same bill?
 Conference committee resolves differences
 Bill sent to president if both chambers
approve work of conference committee

87. 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