Congress I
Political Theory of Representation
-
delegate v. trustee model
-
public interest v. state, district, partisan voter,
faction interests
Spending on Congressional Races
-
see chart via WebCT
Powers of Congress
Constitutional
Roles
-
Make
Laws
-
Power
of the Purse
o
FY2006 appropriations
status
-
Power
over Appointments (Senate)
-
Shared
Treaty Power (Senate)
-
Oversight
Power (to oversee government)
Power
in Practice
-
Legislate
Policy
-
Condition
Appropriations
-
Hold
Hearings
-
Question
Nominees
-
Mandate
Reports
o
e.g.,
search for “report” in the 2005
Energy Policy Act
“Structural”
Power
-
Delegate
authority to executive
-
Create
or eliminate agencies
-
Obstruct
president's agenda
-
Shape
executive perceptions and expectations
Structural
Limits to Congress's Power
-
Congress
is not a corporate body
-
Small
staffs limit monitoring capabilities
-
Limited
support agencies: CBO, GAO, LoC/CRS
o
e.g.,
FTE employees 2004: 228 at CBO v. 497 at OMB)[1]
Political
Limits on Congress' Power
-
Increased
partisanship limits cooperation
-
Ideological
divergence limits cooperation
-
See
WebCT tables