POLS_110_-_Lecture_16 - Yet another insight brought to you...

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Chapter 11 (cont’d):
CONGRESS;
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

How Exceptional
is Congress?
•
Congress remains
the most influential
and independent
legislature among
Western democratic
nations.

Representation and Democracy:
•
Styles of representation
•
Edmund Burke described two principal styles of
representation in 1774.
•
Delegate theory
•
Trustee theory
•
Senators (who have longer terms of office) usually
have more latitude than representatives to assume the
trustee style.

Two Basic Problems that Congress Faces:
•
Organization
•
Information
Congress establishes committees and subcommittees with
a huge staff to overcome these problems.
- Organizes the problems into informational units
- Identify policy problems (providing info.)
- Find its solution (what kinds exist v.
what will work)

Congressional Committees:
•
Most of the work of Congress takes place in its
committees and subcommittees .
•
Committee assignments