Day 14 – Leaders and Parties in CongressJuly 23, 2013

In the News

•Senate Control in 2014 a Toss-Up▫http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/201

3/07/15/senate-control-in-2014-increasingly-looks-like-a-tossup/

Why Parties?• Parties are endogenous

▫ Actions of political actors that created political parties and actions of political actors that shape and alter them over time.

• Key actors▫ Office seekers▫ Benefit seekers

• Parties serve as vehicles that▫ Regulate Conflict▫ Promote Collective Choices (e.g. attaining

policy majorities)▫ Collective Action

“Parties may help officeholder win more, and more often, than alternatives.” (p.23)

• Why Two Parties?▫ First past the post system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tWHJfhiyo

House Rules• Constitutional v. Convention• Constitutional

▫Article I, Sec. 2 “The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker

and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.”

▫Article I, Sec. 5 “Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns

and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.”

“Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.”

House Rules (Cont’d.)•Convention

▫“Invent What They Planned in Philadelphia.” – David Broder Ken Burns’ Congress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IveqXQ871tQ

Evolution of the Speakership in the House Two Great Questions of the Nineteenth

Century▫Civil Rights and Growth

•Reed Rules▫Facilitates majority rule and action.▫Combats the “Disappearing Quorum”

•Current Rules▫Gingrich’s “Contract with America”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4qdcdU723Q▫Hastert Rule▫ Pelosi’s “Six in ’06”

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/

Current Issues in the House

•Debt Limit▫

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIbkoop4AYE

•House Republicans Broken Into Factions▫http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-06

-03/politics/39711961_1_house-republicans-house-speaker-john-a-boehner

Senate Rules • Constitution v. Convention• Constitution

▫Article I, Sec. 3 “The Vice President of the United States shall be President of

the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.”

“The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.”

• Senate Organization• http

://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/e_one_section_no_teasers/org_chart.htm

Senate Rules (Cont’d.)

•Convention▫The filibuster and the “nuclear option”

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3036789/ns/msnbc-morning_joe/vp/52457909#52457909

▫Recent filibusters Rand Paul -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CEybxccvPk