American Government American Government and Organizationand Organization

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Monday, 23 FebruaryMonday, 23 February

Announcements Announcements

Ralph Nader declares that he will run for Ralph Nader declares that he will run for president as an independent in 2004.president as an independent in 2004.

Review redistricting and the incumbency Review redistricting and the incumbency advantageadvantage

Organization of CongressOrganization of Congress

While the Constitution outlined a basic While the Constitution outlined a basic framework for Congress, throughout two framework for Congress, throughout two centuries the institution has evolved into a centuries the institution has evolved into a complex mix of rules, procedures, and customs.complex mix of rules, procedures, and customs.

To understand the House and Senate, one must To understand the House and Senate, one must understand what representatives and senators understand what representatives and senators want to accomplish and what obstacles they want to accomplish and what obstacles they have to overcome to achieve their goals.have to overcome to achieve their goals.

The Basic Problems of The Basic Problems of Legislative OrganizationLegislative Organization

To exercise the powers conferred on them To exercise the powers conferred on them by the Constitution, the House and Senate by the Constitution, the House and Senate had to solve some basic problems:had to solve some basic problems: How to acquire informationHow to acquire information How to coordinate actionHow to coordinate action How to resolve conflictsHow to resolve conflicts How to get members to work for common as How to get members to work for common as

well as personal goals.well as personal goals.

The Need for InformationThe Need for Information

A legislator cannot regulate the the stock market A legislator cannot regulate the the stock market or attack environmental pollution without having or attack environmental pollution without having key information related to these areas. key information related to these areas. Congress has attempted to solve the problem by Congress has attempted to solve the problem by utilizing utilizing division of labordivision of labor and specialization as and specialization as tools.tools.By becoming By becoming specialists specialists (or employing them) in (or employing them) in policy areas, and by creating a support policy areas, and by creating a support foundation of information gatherers and foundation of information gatherers and interpreters, they can make more informed interpreters, they can make more informed decisions.decisions.

Coordination ProblemsCoordination Problems

Coordination (trying to act in concert) becomes Coordination (trying to act in concert) becomes more difficult (and necessary) the greater the more difficult (and necessary) the greater the group’s workload and the more elaborate its group’s workload and the more elaborate its division of labor.division of labor.

As Congress has grown, it has had greater need As Congress has grown, it has had greater need for traffic management.for traffic management.

Congress has used its Congress has used its party leadersparty leaders to act as to act as the “traffic cops” giving them power to manage the “traffic cops” giving them power to manage the business of legislating and control over the the business of legislating and control over the agenda.agenda.

Resolving ConflictsResolving Conflicts

Legislation is not passed until the Legislation is not passed until the majorities in both houses agree to its majorities in both houses agree to its passage.passage.Many of Congress’s rules, customs, and Many of Congress’s rules, customs, and procedures are aimed at resolving or procedures are aimed at resolving or deflecting conflicts so it can get on with the deflecting conflicts so it can get on with the business of legislating.business of legislating. Norms ofNorms of collegiality collegiality.. PartiesParties are ready made coalitions. are ready made coalitions.

Collective ActionCollective Action

The problem: what members do to pursue The problem: what members do to pursue individual goalsindividual goals may undermine the reputation of may undermine the reputation of their party or of Congress as a whole.their party or of Congress as a whole.Primary goal for individual members is to Primary goal for individual members is to get get reelectedreelected..The committee system, however, gives The committee system, however, gives members individual incentives to work for members individual incentives to work for collectively beneficial ends. How?collectively beneficial ends. How?Seniority rules automate decisions as to who Seniority rules automate decisions as to who serves on committees, etc. This minimizes the serves on committees, etc. This minimizes the time and effort members might spend competing time and effort members might spend competing for these positions.for these positions.

Organizing CongressOrganizing Congress

The two most crucial institutional The two most crucial institutional structures created to exercise Congress’s structures created to exercise Congress’s constitutional powers areconstitutional powers are the the party systemparty system, and , and the the committee system.committee system.

Without them it would be difficult to Without them it would be difficult to overcome the barriers to effective overcome the barriers to effective collective action.collective action.

The Importance of ConsensusThe Importance of Consensus

The degree of consensus within a party The degree of consensus within a party continues to affect how much authority continues to affect how much authority party members are willing to delegate to party members are willing to delegate to party leaders.party leaders.

When there is broad and deep agreement, When there is broad and deep agreement, there is more cohesion among the there is more cohesion among the coalition. coalition.

The Importance of ConsensusThe Importance of Consensus

Over the decades, there has been significant Over the decades, there has been significant variation in the coordinating ability of parties in variation in the coordinating ability of parties in Congress.Congress.Since the 1950s there has been a Since the 1950s there has been a declinedecline and and resurgenceresurgence of congressional partisanship. of congressional partisanship.As they have become more unified, they also As they have become more unified, they also become more become more polarized along ideological linespolarized along ideological lines..Republicans grew more conservative. Republicans grew more conservative. Democrats became more liberal as their party’s Democrats became more liberal as their party’s conservative southern members were gradually conservative southern members were gradually replaced in Congress by Republicans.replaced in Congress by Republicans.

Party Unity in the HouseParty Unity in the House

Party Unity in SenateParty Unity in Senate

Party LeadershipParty Leadership

Party members give House party leaders Party members give House party leaders resources for inducing members to resources for inducing members to cooperate when they are tempted to go cooperate when they are tempted to go their own way as free riders. These their own way as free riders. These resources take the form of favors they may resources take the form of favors they may grant or withhold (committee assignments, grant or withhold (committee assignments, direction of the legislative agenda).direction of the legislative agenda).

Party Organization (House)Party Organization (House)

Majority leadership positionsMajority leadership positions Speaker of the HouseSpeaker of the House (Dennis Hastert R-IL) (Dennis Hastert R-IL) Majority LeaderMajority Leader (Tom Delay R-TX-22 (Tom Delay R-TX-22ndnd District District

includes Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris Counties)includes Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris Counties) Majority whip Majority whip (Roy Blunt-R-MO) (Roy Blunt-R-MO)

Whips form communication network connecting leaders to Whips form communication network connecting leaders to membersmembers

Minority leadership positionsMinority leadership positions Minority Leader (Minority Leader (Nancy Pelosi D-CA)Nancy Pelosi D-CA) Minority WhipMinority Whip (Steny Hoyer D-MD) (Steny Hoyer D-MD)

Link to Link to Leadership offices in HouseLeadership offices in House

Party Organization (Senate)Party Organization (Senate)

Majority leaderMajority leader (Bill Frist R-TN) (Bill Frist R-TN)

Minority leaderMinority leader (Tom Daschle D-SD) (Tom Daschle D-SD)

Link to Link to Senate leadershipSenate leadership

Party Leadership in the SenateParty Leadership in the Senate

Senators have never delegated as much Senators have never delegated as much authority to their leaders as have authority to their leaders as have representatives.representatives.

The norm of equality (ambassadors from The norm of equality (ambassadors from their states to the national government) led their states to the national government) led them to retain wider freedoms of individual them to retain wider freedoms of individual action.action.