watched sep 14 lecture

2 files changed, 68 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/PROGRESS b/PROGRESS
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 + Sep 4 lecture (INTA)
 + Sep 9 lecture (INTA)
 + Sep 11 lecture (INTA)
-- Sep 14 lecture (INTA)
++ Sep 14 lecture (INTA)
 - Sep 16 lecture (INTA)
 + Sign of Four + Other portrayal of Sherlock
 - Math Chap 2 + HW2
diff --git a/rich/15_congress b/rich/15_congress
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+Article I, Section 8 (on Congress)
+- Enumerated powers
+- Implied powers
+"The legislative authority necessarily predominates" (Madison, #51)
+    - The modern power of the presidency wasn't intentional
+        - Article II gives very little express power. Mostly legislated
+- The power struggles of the time influenced the founders
+    - Senators represented each state legislature
+    - House meant to represent the people
+    - Class structure: senate = elite
+        - Only in 1913 did the 17th amendment elected the Senate by pop.
+        - Professional ruling class like Plato's society
+        - "Big picture," "protectors of society"
+        - The House also had class stratification.
+Term length and constituencies
+    - House
+        - 435 members
+        - Equally populated districts
+        - 2 year term
+    - Senate
+        - 100 members (2 per state)
+        - 6 year staggered terms
+Governing rules (like parliamentary procedure)
+- House has more and more strict rules (size, time limits)
+- In the Senate, everyone can address an issue
+Prestige!
+- Senate is a less formal "coming-together," so it has prestige.
+    - Represent the entirety of the state, so a huge amount of
+        canvassing
+    - Responsibility entrusted for 6 years
+- House is less prestigious (strict rules, short terms, small areas)
+    - Districts can be very small
+    - Don't conduct impeachment trials
+    - Less responsibility
+
+Functions/Responsibilities of Congress
+1) Lawmaking - the primary/intended purpose
+    - Founders wanted broad (collective good) national policy
+    - Vast majority of proposals (bills) don't become laws
+        - Meant to be able to die in many ways
+    - Congresspeople don't (mostly) write their own bills
+        - Executive branch writes bills
+        - Parties write proposals and help push them through
+        - Interest groups
+            - Like the executive branch, experts = interests
+2) Constituent Services
+    - Help out the people from your district
+    - Casework (e.g. handling phone call complaints)
+        - Acts as an access point to the political network
+3) Representatives' two roles
+    - (Burkian) Trustee: prevent constituents from enacting dumb laws
+        - Act as part of the larger body
+        - Senators play this role more often
+    - Instructed Delegate
+        - Do what your constituents want, based on polls, casework
+        - House Representatives with a more sensitive seat
+    - Instance: tobacco
+        - Senators and Representatives hurt Big Tobacco as trustees
+        - But Virginia's tobacco industry was harmed, so labor voted
+          against Representatives who acted as Trustees
+4) Oversight
+    - How is the executive handling congressional legislature?
+    - Confirmation/appointment powers (this is a check/balance)
+    - Public hearings
+        - Despite the quantity of these, things fall through the cracks
+            - Ex: FEMA officer during Katrina lied on his resume.
+        - There is a lot of legislation and officials.