Congress Institution worksheet revised fall 2023 (1)
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Lone Star College System, ?Montgomery *
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Political Science
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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Uploaded by EarlWater15913
Congress: The Institution
Using the links provided please answer the questions in your own words.
Please do not copy and paste sections of
articles or google to try and find answers.
Everything you need to answer the questions are contained in the links and in
your textbook (if specifically referred to).
Congress is the law-making branch of government.
These laws encompass the rules that govern society as well as the
policies that government pursues.
Congress determines who wins and who loses, who gets the benefits and who pays
the costs of government actions.
Winners and losers in the United States are fundamentally influenced by the rules we
live by and the policies that are enacted? Since representative theory sees the legislative branch as the representatives
of “THE PEOPLE”, Congress is presumed to reflect the will of the public and the laws that are passed reflect the
judgement of the best interests of the country. However, overtime, Congress has evolved.
Today Congress does not
pass many laws.
The United States Congress is a bicameral institution.
The House of representatives has 435 voting members and these
members are apportioned across the 50 states based on population, so each state has 1 representative elected out of
single member districts reflecting about 750,000 people.
The senate is made up of 100 members with each state getting
two Senators.
The House and senate are not just collections of individuals but are institutions that exert as much
pressure on individuals to conform as individual members may exert on the institution.
All institutions have a set of
formal rules and informal norms by which members operate and those rules and norms evolve and change over time.
Now, watch this clip of Ben Sasse during the Justice Kavanaugh confirmation hearing and answer the questions that
follow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJK2JveCAbI
Watch from the beginning until the 7:32 mark.
1.Why does Sen. Sasse say the framers of the constitution listed Congress first in Article I?
It
’
s the center of our politics.
2. Why is the legislative branch dedicated to political fights?
Because policymaking is supposed to be done.
3.Why is it essential for democratic accountability that Congress make policy?
Congress is the elected body that represents the people and their things.
4. What does Sen. Sasse say Congress has been doing with its power?
Has been punting its power to avoid taking responsibility and promote reelection.
5. What does Sen. Sasse say are the types of laws that Congress passes?
Two types real laws and fake laws.
6. Why does Sen. Sasse say it is convenient for legislators?
To get reelected
`
7. Why is it a problem for citizens?
Allow bureaucrats to make rules.
So, both Dr. Fiorina and Sen. Sasse describe a change that has happened to Congress as an institution that has
fundamentally changed the nature of our government over the last 50 to 100 years.
https://www.opensecrets.org/overview/reelect.php
9. What was the House Reelection rate in 2022
___83%_______?
10. What was the senate reelection rate in 2022
__100%________?
These reelection rates are high and have been trending up since the turn of the century.
The chart below shows
reelection rates from the 2
nd
congress in 1791 to the 108
th
Congress in 2005.
For reference the 53
rd
Congress was 1895.
As we population increased, the total number of Representatives was increased. In the 2
nd
Congress, there were 15
states with 30 senators and 105 house members.
By the 53
rd
Congress, the total number of Senators had increased to
88 (there were 44 states) and the total number of Representatives increased over time to 356.
Due to the growth of the
country, the Permanent Apportionment Act, signed into law on June 18, 1929, capped House membership at the level
established after the 1910 Census and created a procedure for automatically reapportioning House seats after every
decennial census. So today, there are 435 members in the house.
Each congress in the chart below is made up of a dark
bar and a light bar. The dark bar shows the number of representatives that were reelected while the light bar shows the
number that were defeated.
11. According to the chart, in the 15
th
, 28
th
, and 38
th
Congresses
_____% of incumbents lost reelection.
A.
Less than 50%
B.
More than 50%
12. According to the chart, in the 91
st
, 100
th
, and 108
th
Congresses _____% of incumbents lost reelection.
L
Less than 20%
B.
More than 20%
It is clear in looking at the chart that the percentage of congresspeople being reelected has increased over time.
In
effect, this is exactly what Both Dr. Fiorina and Ben Sasse said Congresspeople wanted to happen.
This
“
Incumbency
Advantage
”
would be understandable if people felt congress was doing a good job.
33. Using the link
https://news.gallup.com/poll/1600/congress-public.aspx
please tell me what the highest job
approval congress had in the last decade?
A fundamental paradox emerges when the data is looked at.
Americans think Congress does a terrible job (averaging in
the low 20% job approval over the last decade) but Congresspeople get reelected at staggering rates, averaging 95%
over the last 10 years.
How can this be?
Well it is because
incumbent members of congress have shaped to “rules of
the game” to favor them staying in office.
As we learned from both Dr. Fiorina and Sen. Sasse,
congresspeople do not
like to make laws because it makes some constituents mad. But they do like to carry out Pork barreling and constituency
service.
These are things only they can do and bring appreciation from their constituents.
However, there are other
“rules of the game” that have led to increased
Incumbency rates.
Here we see two charts of the personal staff of House
and senate members. Today there are approximately 20 staff for each member of congress.
They work in both district
and Washington D.C. offices taking care of legislation, constituency needs, and interest group demands.
The first chart
provides some historical perspective to the growth of congress people’s personal staffs.
Remember that the
apportionment act was passed in 1930 and so we had the same 435 representatives in the House of Representatives.
Therefor, the personal staff of representatives has grown 10-fold.
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44. According to the 2 charts above, in 1935 there were _870____ total personal staff for members of the House
of representatives and in 2014 there were ___8000___ personal staff?
Another advantage that congresspeople have is the ability to return home whenever they want to.
Up until the 1960’s
congress people, when elected, typically moved with their families to Washington D.C.
That is no longer the case.
Read the article in the link and then answer the question below.
https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/08/13/how-lawmakers-can-stay-connected-to-constituents/congress-
would-get-more-done-with-a-better-schedule
Because of the Tuesday-Thursday club, the House of Representatives has averaged 138 legislative days a year since
2001, according to records kept by the Library of Congress. That's about one day of work every three days, or fewer than
three days a week.
Another advantage of Incumbency, as we see in the chart below, is taxpayer funded travel.
Representatives went from
having 3 taxpayer funded trips back to their district a year to unlimited trips. This means that Representatives return
home to campaign and fundraise every weekend for their entire 2-year term.
As we know from the previous question, a
weekend is not just Saturday/Sunday.
In addition, Congresspeople need to communicate with their constituents so they can send mail through the USPS paid
for by taxpayers
called “Franking”
.
This is perfectly reasonable since congresspeople need to respond to questions
constituents may have.
However, the way that congress uses the Franking Privilege is questionable.
Below is a chart
showing the incoming mail to congresspeople and their outgoing mail.
For more recent data here is a link.
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34458.pdf
15. According to the chart above in what years do the peaks in mailings occur?
Even
Odd
(underline one)
16. Why do you think Representatives send more mail in even numbered years?
Thus by being in office, a Representative has a set of resources, necessary to do their job but used in a way that furthers
their electoral interests.
But the biggest benefit that Incumbents possess is the advantage of money.
Congresspeople raise vast sums of money to run for election and the amount needed to run has increased exponentially.
Using this link, please answer the questions below.
https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/election-trends
17. In 1990 the average House winner spent $_407.56k_____ while by 2022 the average House winner
spent $_2.79m_____.
18. In 1990 the average Senate winner spent $__3.87m____ while by 2022 the average Senate winner
spent $26.33m_____.
19. In 2022 the most expensive House race was won by __Katie fortev__________________
a D R who
spent $_28,483,083_____.
20. In 2022 the most expensive Senate race was won by ___Raphael Warnock_________________ a D R
who spent $_180,666,083_____.
As you can see, running for congress is expensive and it is really not a matter of party since both Republicans and
Democrats spend huge sums to win their seats. As you might guess, money heavily favors incumbents.
Using this link,
https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/incumbent-advantage?cycle=2022&type=A
please answer the
questions below.
21. In 2022, the average House incumbent raised $ __2,855,968_________ while the average House challenger
raised $ __307,857________
22. In 2022, the average Senate incumbent raised $ 29,663,631__________ while the average Senate challenger
raised
$ __2,129,872________
23. In 2022, the average Senate open seat candidate raised $_3,769,989_________ while the average House
open seat candidate raised $_600,753___
So, where does the money come from and why is it skewed so heavily towards incumbents of both parties?
To answer
that question we have to look a little deeper.
Use the video in content, right below the Congress worksheet to answer 24-37.
The link below will also take you there.
https://vimeo.com/61488659
24. Why did David Heath decide to investigate earmarks?
Documentary.
25. What bill did he focus on?
Congress defense bill.
26. How much pork (earmarks) was in the bill?
Twelve billions of dollars.
27. Who is Winslow Wheeler?
Is a senior director of the straus military reform project in the center for defense.
28. Where did Wheeler tell Heath to look for the pork (earmarks)?
Report.
29. Describe the process that Heath and his assistants went though to build their database. (Describe Completely)
Long hours on computers.
30. How much did the companies that got earmarks spend on lobbying?
160 millions of dollars and twelve on earmarks.
31. What is MicroVision and what does it make?
Company that make googles for the US army named nomad.
32. The first MicroVision Earmarks were sponsored by __Slade Gordon______________ a D or R?
33. What did Slade Gorton do when he lost his reelection to Patty Murray?
Join the Microvision board.
34. What did Retired Sgt. Major Thomas Adams say about the Nomad and where they ended up?
It,s junk.
35. What did Heath uncover happened the day after Rockwell Collins won the Army Competition?
Patty announces that she is getting a huge earmark.
36. Why do you think Patty Murray kept providing earmarks to MicroVision?
For favors.
37.
Tell me about the Boat.
Who was it made for, who was it given to, and where did it end up?
Why?
I t was give to cost guard and they
didn’
t want it the boat and end up in Washington.
Please watch this clip and answer the questions below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHiicN0Kg10
38. Who is Jack Abramoff?
He was the center for a massive scandal or brazer corruption,
39. What types of things did he provide to congresspeople and their staffs to gain influence
a. Tickets.
b. Tribes.
c. Gifts.
d. Free meals.
e. Own the offices.
40. What did he try to get inserted into a bill?
Taxed Native American casinos.
41. Why the chair of the Committee
(Bob Ney) say he didn’t know what it was
?
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He didn
’
t care about this
42. Why do you think he would go ahead and insert it into the bill?
Casino.
43.
What does Abramoff say bribery is?
The whole system is bribery.
44. How common is it in Congress according to Abramoff?
Very common.
45. How much influence does your average voter have when compared to a lobbyist like Jack Abramoff?
Have a low to nonexistent influence on public policies.
So, Incumbents have huge advantages that have made elections largely foregone conclusions.
Incumbents (most of the
time) will win.
Lobbyists know it, people with money know it and because as ordinary citizens our influence is one vote
in one congressional race, we have limited power.
Money and all the other benefits that Abramoff outlined, however,
can be given to multiple congresspeople over a longer period of time.
In the end, monied interests become close to
elected representatives.
They go golfing together, they go to fundraising dinners together, they become friends.
Voters
simply cannot compete with that.
The incumbency advantage helps congresspeople get reelected, but it does not help
build democratic accountability.
As Congress has abdicated its responsibility for making laws more focus has shifted to
the executive branch.
Senator Sasse said, Congresspeople have delegated large swaths of their power to “alphabet soup
agencies” that are in the executive branch and thus for whom the president is responsible for
.
This will be the subject of
our next worksheet.
Please write a paragraph on how well Congress fulfills its role as the United States’ representative institution.
Be sure to
look at both descriptive and substantive representation.
Descriptive Representation: Descriptive representation refers to the extent to which the composition of
Congress reflects the demographic diversity of the American population. In this context, Congress has
historically faced criticism for underrepresentation in terms of gender, race, and socioeconomic background.
a. Gender: While the percentage of women in Congress has increased over the years, it still falls short of
gender parity. Progress has been made, but women are not proportionally represented.
b. Race and Ethnicity: Congress also struggles to mirror the racial and ethnic diversity of the nation,
particularly among African Americans, Hispanics, and other minority groups.
c. Socioeconomic Background: Many members of Congress come from privileged backgrounds, and there is
often a disconnect with the economic struggles faced by a significant portion of the population.
Overall, Congress has made some strides in improving descriptive representation but still has a long way to go
in accurately reflecting the demographics of the United States.
Substantive Representation: Substantive representation focuses on how well Congress represents the
interests and concerns of the people it serves. This can be assessed in several ways:
a. Policy Outcomes: Congress passes laws and policies that impact various aspects of American life, from
healthcare and taxes to environmental regulations. The degree to which these policies align with the
preferences and needs of the American people can be a measure of substantive representation.
b. Constituent Engagement: Members of Congress are expected to engage with their constituents,
understanding their concerns and advocating for their interests. Constituent service is a critical aspect of
substantive representation.
c. Responsiveness: Congress should be responsive to shifts in public opinion and address emerging issues
promptly. However, partisan gridlock and political polarization sometimes hinder this responsiveness.
d. Accountability: Substantive representation also involves holding elected officials accountable for their
actions and decisions. This is done through the electoral process, oversight mechanisms, and the media.