256 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS
The essential nature of confl ict and compromise in the legislative process
is not very well understood by the general public. Americans often view the
wheeling and dealing that is necessary to reach compromises as improper and
wonder why there is so much confl ict; a typical sentiment is, “Why does there
have to be so much partisan bickering? Can’t they just implement the best
solutions to our problems?” Many Americans don’t even attempt to understand
the legislative process and the nature of confl ict and compromise because it
seems hopelessly complex. Anyone who has watched congressional debates on
C-SPAN knows that legislative maneuvers and discussions can make your head
spin. Certainly, the legislative details of the bill to address the fi scal cliff would
be too complicated for more than a few experts to comprehend.
In this chapter we show that the basic characteristics of Congress are
straightforward and that the motivations that guide members’ behavior and the
way that Congress works are transparent. This chapter argues that members’
behavior is driven by their desire to respond to constituent interests (and the
related goal of re-election) and is constrained by the institutional structures
within which they operate (such as the committee system, parties, and
leadership). At the same time, members try to be responsible for the broader
national interests, which are often at odds with constituent interests and the goal
of re-election.
This tension between being responsible and responsive is a source of
confl ict, and it requires members of Congress to make tough decisions that
often involve political trade-offs and compromises. Should a House member
vote for dairy price supports for her local farmers even if it means higher
milk prices for families around the nation? Should a senator vote to subsidize
the production of tobacco, the biggest cash crop in his state, despite the
tremendous health costs it imposes on millions of Americans? Should a
member vote to close a military base, as requested by the Pentagon, even if
doing so means the loss of thousands of jobs back home? These are diffi cult
questions. On a complex issue such as the fi scal cliff, there is no obvious
“responsible” solution: Republicans favor spending cuts with no changes in tax
rates, while Democrats want both tax increases on the wealthy and spending
cuts to reduce the defi cit.
The tension between responsibility and responsiveness illustrates the
other two themes of this book as well. Members of Congress regularly make
decisions that affect our everyday lives. Indeed, they spend much of their time
trying to respond to our desires, which means that many laws are relevant for
our interests, such as government support for education, transportation, tax
laws, and energy policy. The idea that political process matters is probably more
evident in this chapter than any other. By controlling the legislative agenda,
determining which amendments will be allowed on a given bill, or stacking an
important committee with sympathetic partisans, the legislative process affects
political outcomes.CHAPTER goals
Describe how the Founders
envisioned Congress’s role.
¾ PAGES 257–58
Explain how members of
Congress represent their
constituents and how
elections hold members
accountable.
¾ PAGES 258–71
Examine how parties, the
committee system, and
staffers enable Congress to
function.
¾ PAGES 271–80
Trace the steps in the
legislative process.
¾ PAGES 280–84
Describe how Congress
ensures that the
bureaucracy implements
policies correctly.
¾ PAGES 284–88