The Incumbency Advantage Incumbency tradition is high in both Senate (generally above 50%) and...
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Transcript of The Incumbency Advantage Incumbency tradition is high in both Senate (generally above 50%) and...
The Incumbency Advantage Incumbency tradition is high in both Senate (generally above 50%)
and House (generally above 80%, incumbent rate more stable than Senate)
Media coverage is higher for incumbents Incumbents have greater name recognition
due to franking (use govt $), travel to the district, news coverage
Members secure policies and programs for voters Easier to raise campaign contributions because
lobbyists seek their favors Redistricting that incumbents do (gerrymandering and
malapportionment) Sophomore surge- second term election strength Constituents can see what incumbents are doing in their
community Exception to incumbency advantage: scandal or unpopular president Consequences?
Continuity (less radical change), more experienced, established relationships with interest groups, policy specialization discourages challengers, lack of responsiveness, fewer minorities
Incumbent House Members Running for Reelection, 1964-2006
19641966
19681970
19721974
19761978
19801982
19841986
19881990
19921994
19961998
20002002
20042006
0
100
200
300
400
0
Number defeated Number reelected
Reelection Rates of House
and Senate Incumbents 1946-2006
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
50
60
70
80
90
100
Percent reelected
House Senate
In 1974, huge drop in House and Senate Republican seats due to Watergate scandal; huge drop of Democratic incumbents due to Ronald Reagan’s popularity and Jimmy Carter’s failure
Determinants of voting patterns
• Representative as Delegate vs. trustee
– Delegate: act on what constituents want (agent of the voters, even if they disagree)– Trustee: members act on their own personal beliefs of what is best for society
• Representational view (Constituent influence): members vote to please their constituents, in order to secure re-election– Interest group influence, constant visits at home with constituents,
e-mails, phone calls, town hall meetings• Organizational/ party view (colleague and party influence): where
constituency interests are not vitally at stake, members primarily respond to cues from colleagues– Party leadership pressure, vote along party lines (more than 75% of
the time)• Attitudinal view (personal views): the member’s ideology determines
her/his vote
• Congressional approval ratings very low (30%) overall distrust of Congress as a whole; higher approval of individual members • Anomaly: incumbents reelected
Confidence in American Institutions, 2007
Source: CNN/USA Today/ Gallup poll, June 11-44, 2007.
"I am going to read you a list of institutions in American society. Please tell me how much confidence you, yourself, have in each one--a great deal, quite a lot, some, or very little?"
The militarySmall business
The policeThe church
BanksSupreme CourtPublic schools
Medical systemThe presidencyTelevision news
NewspapersCriminal justice
Organized laborBig business
HMOsCongress
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Percent responding "great deal" or "quite a lot"
Confidence in government institutions is comparatively low.
Congressional Approval, 1974-2006
1974
19
75
1976
19
78
1986
19
90
1992
19
94
1995
19
96
1997
19
98
1999
20
00
2001
20
02
2003
20
04
2005
20
06
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Per
cent
resp
ondi
ng "a
ppro
ve"
“Do you approve of the way Congress is handling its job?”
Americans are far more
favorable towards their own member
of Congress
Party Leadership in Congress Overview After legislative election (every 2 years), the party with the most
representatives is the “majority” party – Significance: majority party holds the most significant leadership positions and
the majority of seats in committees Political parties are very important in the basic organization of leadership
and member’s voting in the House and Senate
Overview of leadership positions:
• Speaker of the House (House of Reps) – Nancy Pelosi• Majority leader (House and Senate) • Minority leader (House and Senate)• Party whips (House and Senate)• President pro-tempore (Senate)• President of the Senate (Senate)- Joe Biden
- Currently the 111th Congress January 2009- January 2011 Democrats- Soon we will be in the 112th Congress January 2011-2013 Divided
Party Structure in the HouseParty Structure in the House House HouseSpeaker of the HouseSpeaker of the House is most important leader of majority party and presides over is most important leader of majority party and presides over
House (once all powerful until revolt in 1910) – voted for by majority party, House (once all powerful until revolt in 1910) – voted for by majority party, senior member w/ leadership expsenior member w/ leadership exp
– Presides over meetings Presides over meetings – Recognizes members to speakRecognizes members to speak– Appoints members to select & conference committeesAppoints members to select & conference committees– Directs business on the floorDirects business on the floor– Assigns bills to committeesAssigns bills to committees– Exercises behind the scenes influence over Exercises behind the scenes influence over
party membersparty members– 33rdrd in line for succession in line for succession– Usually one votes in case of a tieUsually one votes in case of a tie
• Majority leader and minority leaderMajority leader and minority leader: floor leaders, schedules bills, rounds up : floor leaders, schedules bills, rounds up votes for party favors, stepping stone to Speaker position, spokesperson for votes for party favors, stepping stone to Speaker position, spokesperson for minority partyminority party
• Party whipsParty whips keep leaders informed (go betweens for leaders and members), keep leaders informed (go betweens for leaders and members), round up votes of party members, pressure members to support leadership, round up votes of party members, pressure members to support leadership, inform members of important billsinform members of important bills
• Committee assignments and legislative schedule are set by each partyCommittee assignments and legislative schedule are set by each party
Senate Party Leadership • President of the Senate is the Vice President of U.S. (rarely present,
only votes in ties) – symbolic office• President pro tempore presides; this is the member with most
seniority in majority party (a largely honorific office, no real powers)
• Real leaders are the *majority leader and the minority leader, elected by their respective party members – first Senator heard on the floor, determines Senate agenda, influences committee assignments
• Party whips: keep leaders informed, round up votes, count noses• Each party has a policy committee: schedules Senate business,
prioritizes bills• Committee assignments are handled by a group of Senators, each for their own party
CommitteesREAL work of Congress
• Bills are worked out or killed in committees • Investigate problems and oversee the executive branch
Four types of committees:
1) Standing Committees (*legislation) Most important, basically permanent, handle bills in diff. policy areas, only type of comm. to
propose legislation by reporting a bill to full House (Senate-16, House-19) *Most important: Ways and Means (taxes), Senate judiciary, Rules Committee
2) Select Committees (*special, temporary issues)• Formed for specific purposes, temporary (but may become standing committees), sometimes
produce legislation• Ex. Investigated Watergate scandal
3) Joint Committees (*joint special issues)• Select comm. consisting of members from both House and Senate, conduct business between houses, help focus public attention on major issues, oversee institutions , investigations
4) Conference Committees (*compromise bill)• Consist of members from houses, hammer out differences between House and Senate versions of similar bills, make a compromise bill to be sent back to each house for approval
1995-1996 (104th Congress, Republicans) reformed # of committees (reduced from 252-198), term limits on committee chairmen (6 yrs)
Each member of House serves on 1-2 standing committees (unless limited to one of exclusive); Senators may serve on two major committees (average – 7 subcommittees) and one minor committee
Committee Membership
Chairman and majority of each standing committee comes from majority party with a minority of minority party members (try to be proportionate to Congressional party split)
Assignments are based on personal and political qualities of the member, region, reelection help Members from safe districts (elected with more than 55% of
the vote, guaranteed reelection) can be on an important committee that helps the nation and public welfare,
while marginal districts (elected with less than 55% of vote, reelection is not secure) need committees that suit the need of constituents (ex. Kansas rep on Agricultural committee)
Method of committee membership: Each party has a Committee on Committees Speaker of the House selects Select and Conference Committee
members (powerful!)
Committee Chairmen (House)
Powerful – decides what is on the committee agenda
1910 -- House Revolt transferred power to chairmen and away from Speaker of the House
1910-1970 -- Chairmen chosen by seniority system
Member with the longest continuous service of majority party on committee is placed automatically as chair (whoever has been in the committee the longest is the chairman)
1970 reform – secret ballots of majority members elected chairmen, may only chair 1 committee, committee meetings usually public, increased staff size for all
Before 1970s, work was done primarily by chairmen behind closed doors Reforms gave more rights to members, especially with little seniority Took away extreme power of chairmen, but still very powerful In practice, most chairmen are still senior members
1995 Republican Reforms – 6 year term limits for House chairmen
Functions of Committees Proposed bills are assigned to specific committees, the comm.
Controls the life or death of the bill
11,000 bills are introduced in each 2 year session, committees weed the bad bills out
Pigeonholed – when a bill is put aside in a committee for possible future consideration majority of bills are forgotten forever and never make it out of
committee Those approved move to subcommittees who hold hearings over
bill – supporters and critics of the bill appear at hearings and are questioned by subcommittee.
Bill is then marked up (changed or rewritten) and returned to full committee where more alterations may be made
Sent to Rules Committee (House – decides on rules for the bill, may be amended by members, amount of debate) or straight to floor (Senate)
A Bill’s Destiny:Option 1:Killed by committee or chair (not considered)
Option 2:Pigeonholed (temporarily put aside for future consideration)
Option 3: Sent to subcommittee for further consideration