PPT 4
Page 1: Introduction
Institutional Development and Change in Congress
Course Code: POLS 400
Instructor: Jesse Richman, PhD
Page 2: Review of Constitutional Structure
Bicameralism: Congress consists of two chambers (House and Senate).
Impacts legislative outcomes through the need for agreement in both chambers.
Veto Power: The President's ability to reject legislation to influence outcomes.
Bicameralism and veto powers reduce potential legislative wins.
Winset of Status Quo:
The set of policies that can be adopted that win against the current policy.
A smaller winset leads to fewer legislative changes.
Page 3: Federal Aid and Debt Settlement
Breakdown of federal securities and debts by states:
New Hampshire: Total securities = $523, debt = $60, remaining = $240.
Massachusetts: Total securities = $5,751, debt = $2,334 remaining.
Virginia: Total securities = $2,969, debt = $791 remaining.
Total federal aid and state debt figures show the financial landscape post-Revolution.
Page 4: Overview of Congressional History
No Instruction Sheets for Institutions:
Institutions evolve without prescribed rules.
Congress's Authority:
The Constitution allows Congress to set its own operational rules.
Historical evolution impacts legislative structure and effectiveness.
Congress characterized as a mature institution with internal complexity.
Page 5: Major Themes of Congress
Pressures and Opportunities:
The electoral connection shapes legislative priorities and workload.
Party Dynamics:
Assess the degree of division on issues within parties and the electorate.
Responses to Conflict:
Creation of rules and leadership roles to govern the legislative agenda effectively.
Page 6: Major Periods of Congressional Development
The Experimental Period (1789-1812):
Congress experimented with various organizational types.
The Democratizing System (1820-1860):
Regional tensions affect party development and leadership.
The Civil War System (1865-1896):
Emergence of strong parties aligned with committee systems.
Committee Government (1912-1964):
Powerful committees governed Congress, with significant intra-party divisions.
The Ideological Congress (1974-Present):
Strong party leadership and the rise of partisan divisions.
Page 7: The Evolution of Institutions
Changes in Congress's physical structure reflect its development over time.
Mention of key buildings such as the U.S. Capitol and various Congressional offices.
Page 8: Increasing Workload Trends
Public laws enacted indicate a growing legislative workload over time.
Page 9: Legislative Activity Timeline
Visual data on Congress's increasing legislative activity from 1789 to the 21st century.
Page 10: Bill Introductions Over Time
A significant increase in the number of bills introduced in Congress from 1947 to 1998.
Page 11: The Experimental Period (1789-1812)
Early Congresses were characterized by fluid organization.
Development of the first standing committees exemplified organization efforts.
Leadership emerged primarily from outside Congress during this time.
Page 12: The Democratizing System (1820-1860)
Evolution of committee systems aimed to manage workload and oversight of expanding executive authority.
Emphasis on balancing regional interests in Congress, especially in relation to slavery.
Page 13: The Post-Civil-War System (1865-1896)
Staunch regional factions strengthen party leadership.
Legislative rules evolved to counteract procedural delays.
Page 14: Tension Between Legislative Members
Historical quotes reveal conflicts over Speaker's authority and legislative decisions.
Page 15: Reed's Rules and Their Impact
Reed's rules altered the power dynamics of the House, fundamentally changing legislative processes.
Page 16: The Textbook Congress (1910-1964)
Establishment of a seniority system and powerful committee structures.
Noteworthy weaknesses and divisions within parties.
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Page 18: Conservative Coalition Formation
Appearance of conservative coalitions showing diverging party ideologies.
Page 19: The Ideological Congress (1974-Present)
Shift toward ideological coherence within parties and expanded influence of leadership.
Page 20: Increasing Polarization
Data illustrating growing ideological divides among major political parties in Congress.
Page 21: Decline in Legislative Output
Notable reduction in the number of bills passed reflecting a trend towards larger, less frequent legislation.
Page 22: Institutional Change Driven by Conflict
Influence of presidential power dynamics on Congressional structure and operation.
Page 23: State of the Union Requests
Statistical analysis of presidential requests to Congress over time and the percentage that gets enacted.
Page 24: Changing Job of Congressional Members
Evolving roles and responsibilities of Congress members over time.
Page 25: Review of Congressional Dynamics
Changes in committee systems and party leadership in response to increasing legislative challenges.
Page 26: Current State of Congress
Institutionalization of House and the evolving influence of individual members within the system.
Page 27: The Evolution of Institutions
Polsby's analysis of House institutionalization emphasizing boundaries, complexity, and universality.
Page 28: Consequences of Institutionalization
Historical norms and practices in Congress and their impact on contemporary operations.
Page 29: Evolving Membership Trends
Decline in percentage of first-term members in the House illustrates increasing entrenchment of incumbents.
Page 30: Terms Served by Incumbents
Comparative data on terms served by members, highlighting partisan differences.
Page 31: Institutionalization Considerations
Examining the potential downsides of institutionalization, such as lack of term limits.
Page 32: Leadership Tenure
Data examining the tenure of speakers and trends in congressional leadership.
Page 33: Internal Complexity and Organizational Growth
Growth of party organizations and the evolution of committee systems in Congress.
Page 34: Changes in Committee Roles
Examination of decreased roles of committees in legislation as leadership grows.
Page 35: Staff Composition
Comparison of leadership staff versus committee staff in House and Senate over time.
Page 36: Budgeting and Staffing Trends
Analysis of real expenditures and staffing levels in Congress over decades.
Page 37: Automated Decision Rules in Legislature
Examination of the decline of committee independence due to party dynamics.
Page 38: Seniority and Party Roles
Discusses intentional limits on committee chair terms and the difference between party practices.
Page 39: Committee Member Removals
Recent trends in committee member removals, reflecting power shifts.
Page 40: Contested Elections in the House
Trends in contested elections reflecting political dynamics over decades.
Page 41: Member Interests and Committees
Functions of committee systems beyond division of labor for members’ careers.
Page 42: The Financial Services Committee
Overview of the committee’s structure and members for the 114th Congress.
Page 43: Filibuster Reform Dynamics
The process of filibuster reform and key participants known as the Gang of 14.
Page 44: Earmarks Statistics
Number and cost of earmarks over time, showing legislative pressures.
Page 45: The Return of Earmarks
Renewal of earmark practices and the legislative processes that support them.
Page 46: District Profiles Activity
Introduction to an interactive class discussion about district similarities and differences.
Page 47: Conclusion
Members enter Congress within established structures that influence their work goals.
Page 48: Extra Slides
Additional topics or materials for potential discussion if time permits.
Page 49: Historical Control of Committees
Overview of periods when party leaders exerted significant control over committees.
Page 50: Theories of Congressional Organization
Overview of party-centered versus committee-centered frameworks of governance.
Page 51: Legislative Simulation
Thematic class simulation on decision-making in the House regarding agenda setting.
Page 52: Preferences and Outcomes
Sample data on members’ preferences outlining legislative considerations.
Page 53: Status Quo Locations in Legislative Decisions
Randomized legislative scenarios illustrating decision-making processes.
Page 54: Circumstances for Leadership Power
Conditions influencing when to empower leadership in legislative decision-making.
Page 55: Committee Delegation Game Theory
Theory behind committee authority delegation based on uncertainty and preferences.