Political Science Chapter 11: Congress

Congressional Representation

• Seats in the House of Representatives are apportioned based on population, determined every ten years by the census. Each state gets at least one representative.
• A congressional district is a geographic area represented by one member of the House; California has 53 representatives for its 53 districts.
• District lines are usually drawn by state legislatures, often influenced by the majority party, though some states use bipartisan or nonpartisan commissions.

Voting and Representation Types

• The "one person, one vote" rule ensures that legislative districts maintain equal population sizes to grant equivalent voting power, as established in Reynolds v. Sims.
• Two representation types: instructed delegate representation (votes according to constituents' wishes) and trustee representation (makes decisions based on personal judgment).

Incumbency and Public Opinion

• Incumbents have a higher likelihood of winning elections due to public recognition, access to campaign finance, government resources, and established trust with voters.
• Public opinion influences congressional decisions more when issues are salient and constituents are informed; less influence occurs when public interest is low or divided.

Congressional Leadership and Processes

• Whips assist in informing members of Congress about issues and gauging party support on matters.
• The Vice President serves as the presiding officer of the Senate and fulfills ceremonial roles within the President's administration.

Legislative Process

• After passing in the House and Senate, a bill must be signed by the President or it can be vetoed—overriding a veto requires a two-thirds vote from both chambers.
• Debate in the House of Representatives is structured and limited; leadership controls who speaks and for what duration.
• Bills are introduced and initially read; they are then referred to committees for markup.

Conference Committees and Types of Committees

• If the House and Senate create different versions of a bill, it will go to a conference committee, which drafts a compromise version that must be accepted by both chambers.
• Types of committees include standing committees (permanent legislative bodies), subcommittees (focused on specific issues), and special/select committees (formed for particular tasks or investigations).