Could you be a political analyst?

Examining the work of

Congress
“The 112th Congress was arguably one of the least
productive bodies in history.”
How accurate is this
statement?
114th Congress (2015-2017): 329
113th Congress (2013-2015): 296
112th Congress (2011-2013): 283
111th Congress (2009-2010): 383
110th Congress (2007-2009): 460
109th Congress (2005-2006): 482
108th Congress (2003-2004): 498
107th Congress (2001-2002) : 377
 Enquiry Question:
Who sits in Congress?
 Learning Outcomes
• To describe the current composition of Congress
• To explain the different congressional terms and
elections
• To analyse the role of party allegiances in Congress
How representative is
Congress in terms of;
• Socio-economic
background
• Age
• Race and ethnicity
• Religion
• Sexual orientation
• Disabilities
• Gender
 Presentations
• Listen to the presentation and record clear explanations and
examples from the presentation for you to refer to later.
• You may ask any questions of the presenters at any time
during the presentation.
 Enduring Questions
To what extent is Congress representative of US
society?
Evidence showing Evidence showing
Congress is Congress is not
Representative Representative
Socio-economic background

Age

Race and ethnicity

Religion

Sexual orientation

Disabilities

Gender
 Enduring Questions
To what extent is Congress representative of US
society?

The 115th Congress is the most diverse yet…but is

it enough?
BBC Video Clip
Roll Cal Video Clip

Should Congress be a microcosm of US society?

 Learning Outcomes
• To describe the current composition of Congress
• To explain the different congressional terms and
elections
• To analyse the role of party allegiances in Congress
Watch the video: Crash Course – Congressional Elections
This podcast talks about the importance of congressional
elections including the frequency of elections in the Senate and
House, typical characteristics of a candidate, and the motivating
factors congress people follow to get re-elected.
 Learning Outcomes
• To describe the current composition of Congress
• To explain the different congressional terms and
elections
• To analyse the role of party allegiances in Congress
 What is the role of political
parties in Congress?
YOUR TASK:
• Read the handout “Parties in Congress”.
Questions:
• How are political parties in Congress organized?
• What role do political party organizations play in
Congress?
• How do factional organizations function in Congress?
• What is a caucus? What are some of the different caucuses
in Congress?
• How do political parties help organize Congress? Why does
media coverage tend to focus on party conflicts?
 Learning Outcomes
• To describe the current composition of Congress
• To explain the different congressional terms and
elections
• To analyse the role of party allegiances in Congress
 How significant is the role of
political parties within Congress?
(15)
 How significant is the role of
political parties within Congress?
• Members can be most effective when they chair committees and
this can only be done if their party holds the majority of seats in the
chamber
• Also, each of the past three speakers of the House of
Representatives have had a strong, overt, ideological agenda
• When Congress and the White House are controlled by the same
party, oversight tends to be less rigorous
• An ever-increasing proportion of votes are along party lines. For
example, President Obama’s stimulus package got no votes from
Republicans in the House and only three in the Senate
 How significant is the role of
political parties within Congress?
• As the parties have become more polarised, party leaderships in
Congress have exerted increasing influence on their members
• Members of Congress are very willing however to vote against their
party if they believe a vote against will be more favourably received
by their constituents
• The executive branch will attempt to persuade members of both
parties to support the administration’s proposals
• Pressure groups, especially those who have contributed to
campaign funds, will make their views known on issues which
concern them
• Members of congressional caucuses may vote the same way
 Could you be a political analyst?
Examining the composition of
Congress
“The 115th Congress is the most demographically
diverse one yet.”

How
accurate is
this
statement?
 Homework
Application Task:
How significant is the role of political parties
within Congress? (15)
Flipped Learning Preparation Task:
Functions of Congress: Representation (Pearson
p344-348)
Stretch & Challenge Task
Demographics; 115th Congress