Dr Simon Boucher ~ bouches@tcd.ie

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 (suiterj@tcd.ie)

• 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…