Jordan Conway

Dabney notes-7/2 (emphasis on committees)

How do members of Congress vote? (House of Representatives v. Senate)

1. Constituents’ interest
2. Party’s interests/ President president’s agenda
3. 3Vote according to their own beliefs
4. Personal interest
 Committees- see p. 284 for more info
 Standing committees
 Permanent committees
 Have fixed jurisdiction
 People on these committees stay on these committees until they decide to move onto
something else
 Special/Select committees
 Created for a special purpose (ex. Military sensitivity in Iran—back in the day)
 Generally are only supposed to be around for a certain time and then go away, but often
become institutionalized and end up staying around much longer than people expect
 Joint committees
 Created to achieve agreement in Congress
 Different from conference committees because they are not final, not the last word on the
issue
 Conference committees
 designed to resolve the differences between the House and Senate on a particular policy
issue
 Once that issue is resolved, then it’s done and will go up for passage or rejection by
Congress
 The final arbiter on policy by both committees
 Ad Hoc committees
 Meant for policies that are somewhat sensitive in nature
 Off topic policies that emerge, don’t really fit into the other, longer-standing committees
 Can be extended into longer standing committees (9/11 relief committees can branch off
into homeland security committees)
 People like committees because there is a sense of pride and a sense of purpose
 There are Exclusive Committees, Major Committees, Non-Major
 Exclusive
 You can only be one one exclusive committee
 Such a large issue, you only have time for one!
 Major Committee
 You can be on a major committee, and a non-major committee
 Not as restricting/ exclusive
  Non-Major Committee
 No limit to how many of these you can join, usually 2-3
 Officials might be matched up with a committee based on their expertise/ experience, or
because of their circumstances (like location, living near a coal deposit, etc.) that gives them
insight
 District concern- strong desire to be on the committee because of concern for their own
district or area
 Seniority can also give an official the privilege or right to serve on a committee
 However, a newcomer showing clear signs of expertise can also get the job
 Member request
 (Network), Party Loyalty (you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours)
 Terms of Office
 Senators have a six-year term
 House of Reps have a two-year term
 Voter fatigue, low voter turnout in the U.S., every time you turn around there is an election!
 House Reps want to extend their terms, having to devote attention to the “endless
campaign” takes attention away from really dealing with the issues “single-minded re-
election seeker”
 Term Limits

Demerits Merits
 Loss of Expertise/ Experience  New blood
 Insufficient memory  Fresh ideas
 Diminish pursuit of time-sensitive or  Diversity
time-consuming or difficult legislation  Room for new types of leadership,
(efforts) diverse leadership
 Power of the President
 Congress was conflicted over amount of presidential authority necessary
 Didn’t want to return to system of monarchy that they’d just escaped, protect their
democratic government
 He has more managing authority than law/policy-making authority
 “necessary and expedient” (executor of law passed by congress
 Can act in war, with the help/ approval of Congress
 Can make appointments of Supreme Court Justices
 Federal Papers #69: President can only be a leader as long as the people keep voting
him into office
 “Take Care” Clause
 President: Article 2, Section 3
 He shall take care that all laws will be faithfully executed
 Has power to receive diplomats and diplomacy, negotiate treaties with other countries,
 Way that president uses Constitution to obtain more power:
 Executive privilege
  Executive order
 Creating laws without the approval or inclusion of congress (ex. “No Child Left
Behind”)
 Executive agreement
 Congress created these checks and balances because of paranoia, internal checks to make
sure there is reign on his power
 Congress did not want a vigorous and energetic president who could just make things
happen
 If one man moved fast in presidency, it would speed up the process, one-man institution will
move less sluggishly than the multi-man institution of Congress—(Federalist Papers #70)
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