Objective: Explain how congressional behavior is influenced by election processes, partisanship, and divided government.
Starter: What state will gain the most congressional seats in 2020?
1.How accurate was your prediction?
2.Is this a good system of representation?
3.What would happen if we did not have reapportionment?
4.In our high tech, fast paced world, do you think reapportionment should be done more often than every decade?
5.Can you see any regional geographic patterns in this map?
6.Why do you think areas like the "rust belt" (Michigan, Pennsylvania) are losing population while other areas like the "sun belt" (Texas, Florida) are gaining population?
7.How do you think the shift of population southward impacts US politics?
8.In the past we didn't reapportion seats, we just added members of the House of Representatives. Do you think we should remove the 435 member cap on the size of the House, going back to the old system, or should we continue using our current system of reapportionment?
9.What would our Congress look like without reapportionment?
10.What do you predict this map will look like after the 2020 census?
11.How does reapportionment differ from redistricting?
12.In a recent case entitled Evenwel v. Abbott the Supreme Court decided that in reapportioning seats, states may count all people in a state or only citizens who are eligible to vote. Explain whether you think that undocumented aliens should be counted in the census, and thus being counted towards reapportionment.
Recap: Explain how the structure, powers, and functions of both houses of Congress affect the policymaking process.
Review: Whip Around
Practice Questions
Quiz Today: Powers of Congress
Word of the Day
censure
- Define it.
- Use it in a sentence.
- Why might Congress censure one of their own members?
- Why might Congress expel one of their own members?
- What criteria must be reached for Congress to impeach the president?
Unequal Representation of Constituencies
Representation in the Senate is obviously disproportional due to each state having a different population. Though the Constitution does not set the exact size of the House of Representatives, it stipulates that its size must be apportioned among the states according to population. However, through state actions and partisan practices, this Constitutional requirement has been manipulated and adjudicated throughout U.S. history. Let's see how equal representation has been both protected and denied over time.
2AB 4B
2AB 4B
Congressional Behavior
Congressional behavior is influenced by ideology and roles of representation.
Recent elections have led to a divided government, where one party holds a majority in the House while the other controls the Senate (this can also occur where one party holds both houses of Congress but the other party occupies the presidency).
Effects of Divided Government:
Roles of Representation:
Recent elections have led to a divided government, where one party holds a majority in the House while the other controls the Senate (this can also occur where one party holds both houses of Congress but the other party occupies the presidency).
Effects of Divided Government:
- partisan votes
- blocking presidential initiatives
- refusal to confirm presidential appointments
- legislative gridlock
Roles of Representation:
- Delegate model--members cast votes that reflect the preferences of the majority of their constituents
- Trustee model--members use their best judgment to make policy
- Politico model--members act as delegates or trustees
- Partisan model--members vote the party line
Work on Oversight Committee Preparation
Closer: Explain how congressional behavior is influenced by election processes, partisanship, and divided government.
On Deck
Next Topic: Roles and Powers of the President
Finish Oversight Committee Preparation
Quiz Next Class: Congress
Textbook: Read Sections 12.1-12.2 (pp. 342-350) and glance over Ch. 18
Finish Oversight Committee Preparation
Quiz Next Class: Congress
Textbook: Read Sections 12.1-12.2 (pp. 342-350) and glance over Ch. 18