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Dr Simon Boucher ~ [email protected]
Primary Reaction -----
The US Congress
Government and Politics of the USALecture 1 HT:
House keeping
• Office hours: Monday 4-5pm, 4th floor room 4042 (“Ron Hill” on door)
• Michaelmas term essays will be handed back in tutorials in weeks 3-4
• There will be 3 more tutorials in Hilary term. If you aren’t in a tutorial group, contact Jane Suiter immediately ([email protected])
• Hilary term essay – early details…– Due 10.3.07 (i.e. Monday of week 10)– 3 titles TBA. Likely areas: Congress, elections, policy-making
• See course website for ongoing updates – you can add to it too. http://uspoliticstcd.pbwiki.com/
• www.Scoop08.com – anybody interested?
• Which candidate is really for you? http://glassbooth.org
Hilary term schedule
Wk 1
Iowa review, New Hampshire previewMcKay chaps 8, 9
Singh chap 10Congress
Wk 2
New Hampshire review
McKay chaps 14, 11
Singh chaps 8, 11 The Federal Judiciary
The Federal Bureaucracy
Wk 3US Political Parties McKay chap 5
Singh chap 5
LGS chap 11Guest speaker- Liv Gibbons (DNC)
Wk 4
Elections and campaigning McKay chap 6
Singh chap 6
MHW chap 4
LGS chap 10 State of the Union / Super Tuesday preview
Iowa - Democrats
• Obama-mania comes of age?
• Hillary in crisis?• Edwards’ strategy in
tatters?
• Turnout: 212,000
Last Iowa poll
Actual Iowa results
Clinton 29.2 29.3
Obama 30.8 37
Edwards 26 29.8
Biden 5.4 0.9
Richardson 5.2 2.1
Dodd N/A 0.02
Watch Obama’s victory speech –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqoFwZUp5vc
14 minutes of magic.
Iowa - Republicans
• Huck-a-boom!• The end of Romney?• Lift off for McCain?• All according to plan
for Rudy?• Adios Thompson?
• Turnout: 114,000
Last Iowa poll-of-polls
Actual Iowa
Giuliani 6 4
McCain 11.8 13
Huckabee 29.7 34
Romney 26.7 25
Thompson 11.7 13
Paul 7.3 10
The New Hampshire Primary
• 4th smallest state
• Population- 1.2m
• Rich and white
• Traditionally conservative, now a swing state?
• People take politics very seriously
• Neither a “closed” nor “open” primary
• Is a battle for independents
• Hillary – must stop the bleeding• Obama – must maintain the momentum• Edwards – needs a shock, out to kill Hillary• Richardson – needs a miracle
Last NH poll Average
Clinton 26 31.2Obama 38 33.2Edwards 20 19.2
Richardson 3 5
New Hampshire - Democrats
• McCain – His big chance, now or never…
• Romney – Last chance saloon
• Giuliani – Would love 3rd place
• Huckabee – can he perform outside Christian belt?
• Paul – who cares• Thompson – getting
embarrassing
Last NH poll Average
McCain 39 32.7Romney 25 27.8Giuliani 7 9.5
Huckabee 14 12
Paul 6 8.5
Thompson 1 2.2
New Hampshire - Republicans
The United States Congress
Required reading…• McKay chaps 8 and 9• Singh chap 10
Additional resources…• Morris Fiorina, Congress: Keystones of the
Washington Establishment (ARTS 320.973 M96)• David Mayhew, Congress: The Electoral Connection
(PB-252-808 Reserve no.2207)• Burdett Loomis, The Contemporary Congress (PL-
439-119/Reserve no.1596)• Robert Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master
of the Senate (Volume 3)- Introduction (973.923 P2;1)
Readings on Congress
Agenda
• Constitutional background and function
• Structure of Congress
• Interaction between House and Senate
• Nature of Representatives and Senators
• Leadership in Congress
• The Committee system
• Reform and Change of Congress
Separation of power in US Federal Govt
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Congress and the Constitution
• Political representation had been the key issue that led to the War of Independence
• Congress seen as the only way the people could have a direct say in Federal government
• The “Continental Congress” had been the only federal institution in the 1777 Articles of Confederation
• Framers originally intended Congress to be the key federal institution of the new Constitutional system. 1st sentence of Constitution:
“All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a
Congress of the United States”.
Congress and the Constitution
• Article 1 Section 8: Provided Congress with almost all governmental powers conceivable in the 1780s– Power to tax– Power to spend tax receipts– Power to declare war– Power to make international treaties– Power to confirm appointments to other
branches
• Clause 18 – “the elastic clause” – “power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into executive the foregoing powers”
Congress was the apex of Constitutional systemAt very least, it was the executives “co-equal partner”.
Functions of Congress today
Congressional power at a glance
Representativefunction
Legislative function
Executiveoversight
A Bicameral Structure • Early US experience illustrated potential instability of representative government• Serious conflict in Philadelphia – how to balance state sovereignty with popular
representation?• Influenced by British system, examined option of a bicameral structure• The “Great Compromise of 1787” - two houses, with different electoral bases, in
institutional competition
House of Representatives United States Senate
A Bicameral Structure
House of Representatives United States Senate
• House of Representatives proportionately “of the People”, rapid turnover to represent public opinion
“Together represent the aggregate interests of the community”
• Senate the “upper house” - insulated, more deliberative, more collegial, to protect long term national interest
Both houses' approval is necessary for the passage of legislation...
The House of Representatives
Exclusive powers include:
• To initiate revenue bills.
• Initiate impeachment of federal officials for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanours" and empowers the Senate to try such impeachments.
• Elect the President in electoral college deadlocks.
The Senate
Exclusive powers include:
• The President cannot ratify treaties without the Senate’s advice and consent.
• The President cannot make important appointments (ambassadors, federal judiciary, Cabinet) without the Senate’s advice and consent.
• The Senate can propose amendments to spending bills.
Exclusive Powers of the Houses
Comparing the two Houses
The House The Senate
RoleProportionately represents the people
Equally represents the states
Size 440 members 100 members
Prestige Relatively lower Relatively higher
Style Partisan, majoritarianBipartisan, collegial, non-majoritarian
OrganisationFormal, bureaucratic, hierarchical, party leaders control
Informal, flexible, less party control
Media Profile Sporadic Considerable
Comparing Representatives and Senators
The House The Senate
Constituency sizeOn average 500,000 people
From 495,000 people to 34,000,000
Term length 2 years 6 years
Size of staff 17 personal staff each 38 personal staff each
Formal requirements
Be at least 25 years old, have been a citizen for 7 years, inhabit the state they represent
Be at least 30 years old, have been a citizen for 9 years, inhabit the state they represent
Session days / pay 265 days / $165,200 320 / $165,200
Minorities / women 16% / 14% 5% / 14%
ExpertiseFewer committees each - deeper policy expertise
Many committees each - so broader expertise
Congressional power structure
• Constitution gives Congress major powers, but says practically nothing on organisation
• Members have almost complete freedom over their own organisational frameworks, internal rules and behavioural norms
Committees Party Leadership
2 major power focihave been
institutionalised
Congressional Committees
• Committees central to business of US legislation since 1787• 3 main types – standing, select (special), joint committees• Number of Committees expanded (and periodically
consolidated) over time as governance became more complex
• Peaked in 1970s - House 172 Committees (now 89), Senate 174 (now 68)
• When Congress is in session, as many as 100 Committees and Sub Committees meet each week
• Majority party appoints Committee Chairmen• Pecking order within Committees typically decided by
seniority
“Congress in its Committee rooms is Congress at work”
• Committees vary in influence– Finance Committees particularly prestigious– Some authorising committees important
• Committee membership– Determines politicians’ status – Committees often unrepresentative of their parent chamber
Congressional Committees
CommitteeFunctions
Identify, investigate & study
policy problems
Convene public hearingsFrame legislation
Amend legislation
Approve or reject
legislation
Committees autonomy has fragmented Congressional power. This centrifugal dispersion has weakened Congress vs. other branches.
“In practice, Congress functions not as a unified institution, but as a collection of semi-autonomous committees that seldom act in unison."
Party Leadership
• Parties are the most significant organisational structures on Capitol Hill; the power and authority exercised by party leadership, especially in the House, is greater than at any time since the beginning of the 20th century
• Party leaders attempt to concentrate power (the Committee system attempts to disperses it)
• Party leaders are now high profile, highly organised, ambitious, supported by large teams, unmistakeably in competition with the President; their performance has some influence over national reputation of their party
Party Leadership in the House
The SpeakerNancy Pelosi (CA)
The Minority LeaderJohn Boehner (OH)
The Majority LeaderSteny Hoyer (MD)
House leadership is activist and strong
• Chief party spokesperson• Plays partisan role, controlling flow of
legislation (what makes it to the floor)• Presides over full sessions• Influential in assigning Committee chairs• 2nd in line to the Presidency
• Minor role as Speaker leads the party
• Works with Speaker & the Majority Whip to coordinate ideas and maintain support for legislation.
• Floor leader for opposition, counterpart to Majority leader
• First choice for Speaker if power changes hands
Party Leadership in the Senate
The Minority LeaderMitch McConnell (KY)
Speaker of the SenateDick Cheney
The Majority LeaderHarry Reid (NV)
House leadership is activist and weak
• Chief spokesman for party in Senate, but doesn’t preside
• Produces an agreed annual legislative agenda with his Party
• Manages and schedules Senate business• Coordinates political strategy, but can’t enforce will
• Presides over Senate- largely an honorary position
• Votes in ties (occasionally very important power)
• Same as Majority leader, but even less powerful
Criticisms of Congress
In recent years the popularity of Congress has tumbled under intense criticism
Fragmentation &Inefficiency
Failure of Oversight
Excessive Partisanship
• Caused by diffusion of power throughout committee system
• Bill progress slow, majority die or amended out of recognition (“log-rolling”)
• Inter-committee competition impedes progress
• Congress has little access to exactly what Executive is doing
• Sheer volume and technical complexity of executive documentation can baffle Committees
• Only 13 impeachments, to date; 4 convictions
• Blind support for Executive when same party?
• Partisanship driven by increasing ideological differences between parties; undermines traditional civility
• “Personalisation” of Congressional politics
Impetus for reform has come from several sources…• Early 70s: reform spurred by frustration with Southern Democrats’ monopoly on
almost all leadership positions• 1974: Reforms carried on by the post-Watergate Congress• 1980s: Reforms to restore power from committees to (Democratic) party
leadership• 1994: Republicans pushed through major reforms, again to switch power to party
leadership
Attempts at Congressional Reform
• Those designed to improve Congress’ effectiveness by: – Speeding up the legislative
process– Weakening the entrenched
power of committee chairpersons
• Those implemented to curb excesses of executive and strengthen Congress’ institutional position
Congressional reforms have taken two general directions
• Powerful and confident • Increasingly efficient. But retains
slow, difficult processes• Remains resistant to change• Committees still crucial focal
points… However finally some shift in power
• Ideological and partisan• Unpopular – “held in popular
contempt”.
Congress Today
Key characteristics of Congress today…