 Bicameralism
 Decentralization of
Congress spreads power
 So many power centers make it difficult to complete tasks
 Proponents need many victories; opponents just one
 Excessive electioneering and fundraising
 Partisanship is inefficient



Represents narrow geographical interests instead of nat’l interest
Tip O’ Neill’s claim that “all politics is local”
 Criticism that Congress is club for white, protestant male lawyers
 Older members generally get chairmanships (seniority)
 Unequal representation (Alaska = California)
 An un-elected staff
 Lack of 3 rd party representation









Numerous scandals
Excessive/unethical fundraising
PAC influence
Junkets (paid trips by interest groups)
Logrolling
Lobbying by family members of Congress (not subject to ethical restrictions as congressional members themselves)
Corporate hiring of family members (Wendy Gramm on
Enron board of Directors; wife of TX senator Phil Gramm)
Lobbying by former members of Congress (“revolving door”)






Diffusion of power allows members to push blame off on someone else
(people like their congressmen; but not Congress)
Diffusion of power results in “watered down” bills
“Spending Bias” – Members receive voter approval for “earmarks” but not cutting federal spending
Ex. – Gramm-Rudman-Hollings bill (mid 1980’s)
– Called for mandatory gradual budget reductions leading to balanced budget in 1991
–
–
If Congress could not meet reduction; cuts were to kick in
Mechanism to save Congress from itself
– Congress avoided law by extending deadlines and excluding certain types of spending from bill limits
“Pay as you go” system in place in early 90’s, but expired in 2002 and not renewed

 Due to diffusion, Congress writes broadly worded laws and have bureaucracy fill in the holes
(criticism that laws made by un-elected officials)
 Excessive delegation in area of war powers