POLS 34102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Bureaucracy, Pork Barrel, United States House Committee On Rules
29 Jun 2018
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CH 12 OUTLINE
Congress: Representing the American People
1. Congress is the most important representative institution in American government. Each
member's primary responsibility is to the district―that is, to his or her constituency (the people in
the district from which an official is elected).
2. The House and Senate play different roles in the legislative process. The Senate is more
deliberative, whereas the House is characterized by greater centralization and organization.
3. House members are more attuned to localized narrow interests in society, whereas senators
are more able to represent statewide or national interests.
4. A member of Congress may act as a delegate, who expresses the preferences of his or her
constituents, or as a trustee, who is more loosely tied to constituents and empowered to make the
decisions he or she thinks best.
5. Sociological representation is when representatives have the same racial, gender, ethnic,
religious, or educational backgrounds as their constituents. It is based on the principle that if two
individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one can
correctly represent the other's views.
6. Agency representation is the sort of representation that takes place when constituents have
the power to hire and fire their representatives. This is an incentive for good representation in
cases when the personal backgrounds, views, and interests of the representative differ from those
of his or her constituency.
7. Although there have been recent increases in the representation of minorities, Congress is not
a sociological microcosm of American society.
8. Members of Congress frequently communicate with their constituents and devote a great deal
of staff time to constituency service.
9. Voters' choices are restricted by who decided to run for office and which candidate has an
edge over the others.
10. Incumbency affords members of Congress resources such as constituency service and
"personal" relationships to help secure re-election. Incumbency can help a candidate by scaring off
potential challengers. In general, an overwhelming percentage of incumbents who run are re-
elected.
11. Supporters of term limits (legally prescribed limits on the number of terms an elected official
can serve) argue that such limits are the only way to get new faces into Congress.
12. In recent years, turnover rates in Congress have increased due to incumbent retirement, the
precarious economy, and backlash against the party in power.
13. Apportionment and redistricting affect who wins seats in Congress. The manipulation of
electoral districts to serve the interests of a particular group is known as gerrymandering. Recent
legal challenges and Supreme Court rulings have focused on the redrawing of district lines for
partisan ends.
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Congress: representing the american people: congress is the most important representative institution in american government. Each member"s primary responsibility is to the district that is, to his or her constituency (the people in the district from which an official is elected): the house and senate play different roles in the legislative process. Incumbency can help a candidate by scaring off potential challengers. The manipulation of electoral districts to serve the interests of a particular group is known as gerrymandering. Recent legal challenges and supreme court rulings have focused on the redrawing of district lines for partisan ends: members of congress often have an opportunity to provide direct benefits, or patronage, for their constituents. Members of congress can supply benefits to constituents by passing pork- barrel legislation and then exchanging pork-barrel votes for votes on other issues. The organization of congress: at the beginning of each congress, democrats and republicans gather to select their leaders.
