Organization of Congress

Given re-election motive, Congress as an institution will…

• Be an ombudsman• Expresses constituency preferences, not

necessarily national preferences• Engage more often in legislative activities that

help re-election • Write bills that contain particularized benefits• Serve organized groups more than unorganized

groups• Express symbolic policy preferences, but not

necessarily follow through

Today…

• What is Congress supposed to do?

• What are some obstacles in the way?

• What institutions help Congress meet its responsibilities?

What is Congress supposed to do?

What are Congress’ responsibilities in the Constitutional system?

• Voice of the people / Representation

• Make laws

• Check and balance

Congress’ Constitutional responsibilities

• To provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States…

• …Lay and collect Taxes…• …Borrow Money;• …Regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among

the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;• …Coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign

Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures• …Promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, …• …To constitute Tribunals (Courts)…• …Declare War etc..

The “Elastic” Clause

…To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

House special powers

• Originate all tax bills

• Impeach (charge) presidents and judges

Senate special powers

• Try impeachments

• Confirm ambassadors, public ministers, judges

• Ratify treaties (2/3 vote)

Why might it be hard for 435 Representatives from different

districts (and 100 Senators from different states) to write laws that “provide for the common defense

and promote the general welfare?”

Problems Congress faces…

• Free rider problem: why legislate at all?• Coordination problems: managing the agenda• Transaction costs: time and effort of legislating• Conflict resolution• Informational needs

Institutions to overcome obstacles

• Committee System

• Party organization

• Floor Procedure

• Staff

Committee System

House committees• Agriculture• Appropriations• Armed Services• Budget• Education and the Workforce• Energy and Commerce• Financial Services• Government Reform• Homeland Security• House Administration• International Relations• Judiciary

• Resources• Rules• Science• Small Business• Standards of Official Conduct• Transportation and

Infrastructure• Veterans' Affairs• Ways and Means• Joint Economic Committee• Joint Committee on Printing• Joint Committee on Taxation• House Permanent Select

Committee on Intelligence

Senate committeesAgriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans Affairs

Subcommittees: House Agriculture Committee

• Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development and Research• Jurisdiction: Soil, water, and resource conservation; small watershed program; agricultural credit; rural

development; rural electrification; farm security and family farming matters; agricultural research, education and extension services; plant pesticides, quarantine, adulteration of seeds, and insect pests; biotechnology.

• Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management• Jurisdiction: Program and markets related to cotton, cottonseed, wheat, feed grains, soybeans,

oilseeds, rice, dry beans, peas, lentils; Commodity Credit Corporation; crop insurance; commodity exchanges.

• Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Foreign Agriculture Programs• Jurisdiction: Peanuts; sugar; tobacco; honey and bees; marketing orders relating to such commodities;

foreign agricultural assistance and trade promotion programs, generally.• Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Dairy, Nutrition and Forestry • Jurisdiction: Agency oversight; review and analysis; special investigations; dairy; food stamps, nutrition

and consumer programs; forestry in general, forest reserves other than those created from the public domain; energy and biobased energy production; dairy.

• Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture• Jurisdiction: Livestock; poultry; meat; seafood and seafood products; inspection, marketing, and

promotion of such commodities; aquaculture; animal welfare; grazing; fruits and vegetables; marketing and promotion orders

The Committee System

• Helps alleviate free rider problem by serving members’ reelection interests

• Helps meet informational needs by dividing up the work

• Committee chairs help solve coordination problems by serving as gatekeepers

• More specialization in the House because of its size

Floor procedure

A riddle (sort of)

• How is a carpool different than a bus line?

House floor procedure

• Limited debate

• The Rules Committee

• Open and closed rules

• The “bus line”

Senate floor procedure

• No rules committee

• Unlimited debate– Filibuster– Cloture Rule

• Complex Unanimous Consent Agreements

• “The car pool”

How does floor procedure solve some of Congress’ problems?

• Formal, predictable procedures reduce transaction costs

• Formal process reduces coordination problems by identifying a “traffic cop”

• House more rigid and hierarchical

• Senate rules protect minority interests

Parties

What do parties do?

• Elect organizational leadership that…

• Hands out committee assignments

• Hands out committee chairmanships

• Controls Rules Committee (Speaker)

• Influences distribution of pork

• Can help with campaigns

Party organization: House

MAJORITY PARTY

Speaker

Majority leader

Majority Whip (& whips)

Conference (all Reeps)

Steering committee

Policy committee

Campaign committee

Party Organization: Senate

MAJORITY PARTY

President Pro Tempore

Majority Leader

Asst. Majority Leader (whip)

Conference (all Reeps)

Policy committee

Committee on committees

Campaign committee

How do parties solve Congress’ institutional problems?

• Reduce transaction costs—parties are ready-made coalitions

• Channel and manage conflict

• Help meet informational needs

• More delegation to party leadership in the House because of rules

Other institutions

• Staff– (provides information)

• Decorum– (regulates conflict)

• Seniority system– (reduces incentive to free ride)

Important questions:

• How do these institutions serve members’ re-election interests?

• How is the House different from the Senate?

Differences between the House vs. Senate

• Prominence of constituents and reelection

• Degree of Specialization

• Hierarchy

• Protection of minorities