19 Module 6: Congress
Objectives
- Characterize the backgrounds of members of Congress and assess their impact on the ability of members of Congress to represent average Americans.
- Identify the principal factors influencing the outcomes in congressional elections.
- Compare and contrast the House and Senate, and describe the roles of congressional leaders, committees, caucuses, and staff.
- Outline the path of bills to passage and explain the influences on congressional decision making.
- Assess Congress’s role as a representative body and the impact of representation on the scope of government.
Read
- American Government Chapter 11
- Supplemental Reading: Review the Constitution of the State of Arizona, Article IV
Chapter Summary
The framers of the Constitution conceived of Congress as the center of policymaking in America. Although the prominence of Congress has fluctuated over time, in recent years Congress has been the true center of power in Washington. In addition to its central role in policymaking, Congress also performs important roles of representation.
Congressional tasks become more difficult each year. At the same time, critics charge Congress with being responsible for enlarging the scope of government, and public opinion is critical of the institution. Why would individuals want to serve in Congress? And are the critics’ claims correct?
The Representatives and Senators
Despite public perceptions to the contrary, hard work is perhaps the most prominent characteristic of a member of Congress’ job. The typical representative is a member of about six committees and subcommittees; a senator is a member of about 10. There are also attractions to the job. Most important is power: members of Congress make key decisions about important matters of public policy. They also receive a substantial salary and “perks.”
The Constitution specifies only that members of the House must be at least 25 years old, American citizens for seven years, and must be residents of the states from which they are elected. Senators must be at least 30 years old, American citizens for nine years, and must be residents of the states from which they are elected.
Members come mostly from occupations with high status and usually have substantial incomes. Law is the dominant prior occupation, with other elite occupations also well represented. Women and other minorities are substantially underrepresented. Although members of Congress obviously cannot claim descriptive representation (representing their constituents by mirroring their personal, politically relevant characteristics), they may engage in substantive representation (representing the interests of groups).
Although women have proven themselves able to compete with men for seats in Congress, women are underrepresented. Fewer women than men become major party nominees for office as women report they are less ambitious to run for office and more sensitive than men to their perceptions of the odds of winning.
Cong