From 55c0c95c311eac66ef55f4b067a80bd8baa69e00 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Holden Rohrer Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2020 18:42:44 -0400 Subject: The old joke If pros and cons are opposite, what is the opposite of Congress? --- rich/15_congress | 42 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 42 insertions(+) (limited to 'rich/15_congress') diff --git a/rich/15_congress b/rich/15_congress index 06ad5fd..5704186 100644 --- a/rich/15_congress +++ b/rich/15_congress @@ -65,3 +65,45 @@ Functions/Responsibilities of Congress - 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. + - These leaders are super important because quality trickles dwn +5) Public education + - Agenda setting: what Congress cares about/addresses/investigates + - Town halls are often representative -> constituent info + - Email campaign + - CSPAN + - American public not actually very receptive to education +6) "Conflict Resolution and Accommodation" + - Discussion, debate, hearings, compromise + +Congressional Elections and Voting +- Factors influencing outcomes + - Advertising is huge + - Electoral design (future class) + - Presidential elections + - "Coattails" = popular president makes party more popular + - Evidenced by swinging elections towards pres. party + - "Short" or "long" coattails + - Money! + - Spend on increasing turnouts + - Spend on constituents + - VERY helpful but not sufficient + - Big incumbent advantage (3 reasons - Mayhew) + - Built-in offices and staff on the Hill + - Network connections for a campaign + - Committees and credit for working towards constituents + - Universal credit = corona/cancer research, ex + - Personal credit = stamp of approval on funds for district + - Parties support reelections (money, ads) for tenure + - Since 1968, >75% of incumbent senators are reelected and 90% + of incumbent Representatives are reelected. +- Congressional Reapportionment + - Redistricting for House, like Census-based. + - Movement from North, NE southward and westward + - Governors help control reapportionment, help control election +Permanent Reapportionment Act of 1929 +- Didn't want to favor "urbanized" areas + - Republicans in 1920 against "overrepresentation" of areas like + Detroit +- Limits House to 435 (zero sum representation) + - Encourages gerrymandering, district design + - Restrict debate a bit, changed power-grab dynamics -- cgit