4.1: The Legislative Branch - Congress
Use these slides prepared by Dr. Scott as a reference for taking notes while watching the Congress lectures.
Watch these lectures.
Read this chapter. The US Congress is one of the world's greatest democratic institutions. Members fight hard on behalf of their states and districts and are free to introduce legislation which supports their policy agendas and the needs of their constituents. Congress is also an intricate institution, within which it can be very difficult and time-consuming to pass legislation.There has been tension between representation and action since the very first Congress in 1789. Because Congress is divided into two houses with their own rules, procedures, and electoral bases, members often disagree about major legislation, even when the public wants action. However, as you will discover in this subunit, frustration does have a purpose, and was even built into our constitutional system.
4.1.1: The Formal and Informal Roles of Congress National
Read the text of Article I, which describes the constitutional role and duties of the legislative branch. You can click on the highlighted phrases, which will then provide a detailed explanation of that section.
Read this report.
4.1.2: Structure of Congress
Watch this two-part presentation, which explains the structure and function of the United States Congress.
4.1.3: Evolution of the Modern Congress
Watch this video, which features a panel discussion with members of the American Political Science Association. The panel discusses the transformation of Congress and the influences of the two-party system. Among the other topics they address are the impact of changing demographics on party affiliation, sociological influences on political habits, and the nature of structural changes. After watching the video, think about Congress' evolution over time. Has it changed for better or worse? Why?
4.1.4: The Legislative Process, "Logrolling", and the "Pork Barrel"
Watch this two-part presentation to learn how a bill makes its way through the halls of Congress before it lands on the president's desk to be signed into law. Thousands of bills are introduced each session in Congress, and these bills must traverse a highly complex legislative process involving committees, floor debates, interest-group influence, and party power struggles. This complexity not only slows the process of enacting legislation, it also provides a tremendous built-in advantage for opponents of any bill to block it. Supporters of a bill must have success at every step. Opponents need to win only once. Of the approximate 8,000 bills that are introduced in every two-year congressional cycle, only five percent become public laws.
Read this article on the use of logrolling and the pork barrel in political compromise. Logrolling is the trading of favors, or quid pro quo, such as vote trading by two (or more) legislative members to obtain passage of bills of interest to each member. This practice is common in many legislative bodies, including Congress, that often want to secure passage of bills that provide sizable benefits in their home districts. Most logrolling typically involves "pork barrel" funding for government programs whose economic or service benefits are concentrated in a particular area but whose costs are spread among all taxpayers. Public works projects, certain national defense spending projects, and agricultural subsidies are the most common examples
4.1.5: The Committee System
Read this report, which discusses the basic structure and function of congressional committees. Most of the work of Congress is conducted in committees, where policies are shaped and legislation is hammered out. President Woodrow Wilson once observed, "Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee rooms is Congress at work."
4.1.6: Congressional Leadership and Organization
Read this report on the basic structure of leadership in the House of Representatives. An extensive leadership structure provides an organizational framework that helps House members work effectively, if not efficiently. At the top of the leadership hierarchy is the Speaker of the House, who is the body's presiding officer. Majority and minority leaders help set their party's agenda on issues. The whips encourage party unity on House votes.
Use this site to explore the various aspects of the Senate's leadership structure. The Senate leadership consists of the presiding officer, majority leader, minority leader, and whips. Unlike in the House, where the Speaker wields considerable power, the presiding officer is not the most visible member of the Senate and can only vote in case of a tie. The majority and minority leaders work together to schedule and manage Senate business. Whips are less important in the Senate than in the House because the closer personal relationships that develop in the smaller body make it easier to know how members will vote without a formal whip count.
4.1.7: Influences on Congress and Voting
Read this article. Consider how Congress operates and how individual members' votes are subject to a number of different influences: ideological beliefs, constituents, party loyalty, interest groups, and the President.
Read this article, which focuses on the evolving concepts of congressional representation - representatives as trustees, delegates, or politicos.
4.1.8: Congress and the Media
Watch this video, which features First Amendment advocacy and monitoring groups and journalists discussing the issues they face when covering the legislative process.
Checkpoint
Answer these ungraded questions to see how well you have understood the course material in this section.