2016 Democratic Caucuses An Overview of the Delegate Selection Process 2016 Caucuses.
Organization of Congress Parties, Caucuses and Committees.
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Transcript of Organization of Congress Parties, Caucuses and Committees.
Party Leadership in the House
Majority party votes on the Speaker of the House, Floor Leader and “whips”
• Presides over all House matters
• Recognizes who speaks on the floor
• Decides which bills are assigned to which committees
• Nominates members to the Rules Committee
Party Leadership in the Senate
Majority party chooses president pro tempore (usually by seniority)
VP is the “actual” president of the Senate
Majority leader, minority leader, and whips
Daniel Inouye – D (HI)President Pro Tempore
Harry Reid – D (NV)Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell – R (KY)Minority Leader
Caucuses
• Growing rival to parties as source of leadership
• Association of members created to advocate political ideology/interest
• Dramatic increase in number by 1970s
• In 1959 there were four caucuses, in the late 80s, there were over 100
Types of Caucuses
Intraparty (within the party)
• Class Clubs• The Coalition• Democratic Study
Group• Tuesday Lunch
Bunch
Personal Interest• Arts• Constitutional• Human Rights• Military Reform• Children’s
National Constituency• Congressional Black
Caucus• Women’s Issues• Hispanic• Vietnam Veterans
Regional Constituency• Border • Sunbelt• TVA• Western
Types of Caucuses
State/District Constituency
• Export• Irish• Rural• Suburban
Industry• Automotive• Boating• Depot• Steel• Textile• Travel/Tourism
Types of Caucuses
Committees: The Core of Congress
• Committees reflect the “specialization” and “division-of-labor” of Congress
• Where the “real” work is done
• Chairmanships show where the “real” power is
• Three kinds of committees
Standing Committees
• Has own jurisdiction, membership and authority to act
• Permanent status
• Fixed membership
• Like the major departments in the cabinet
Standing Committees: House
• Agriculture• Appropriations• Armed Services• Budget• Education and Labor• Energy and Commerce• Financial Services• Foreign Affairs and
Homeland Security
• Judiciary• Natural Resources• Oversight• Rules• Science and Technology• Small Business• Ethics• Transportation• Veterans’ Affairs• Ways and Means
Standing Committees: Senate
• Agriculture, Nutrition, Forestry
• Appropriations• Armed Services• Banking, housing, Urban
Affairs• Budget• Commerce, Science,
Transportation• Energy and Natural
Resources
• Environment and Public Works
• Finance• Foreign Relations• Health, Education,
Labor, Pensions• Homeland Security • Judiciary• Rules• Small Business• Veteran’s Affairs
Jurisdiction and Authority
Jurisdiction
• Encourages specialization
• Disproportionate influence
Authority
• 8,000 submitted, 1,000 are acted upon
• Gatekeeping is allowing the full chamber to vote on a bill
Select Committees
Groups appointed for a limited purpose lasting for a few congresses
• http://intelligence.senate.gov/
• http://globalwarming.house.gov/
Joint Committees
Members from both chambers serve on the committee
• Conference Committee– Resolves differences between House and
Senate versions of a bill
Subcommittees
Even more specialization occurs at the subcommittee level
Committee on Homeland Security• Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global
Counterterrorism• Emergency Communications Preparedness and
Response• Intelligence Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk
Assessment• Management, Investigations and Oversight• Emerging Threats Cybersecurity and Science and
Technology• Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection