Unit III: Institutions of Government

Congress

In what ways are the
House and Senate different?

Unit III: Institutions of Government

Congress

In what ways are the
House and Senate different?

Proportional vs.
Equal representation

Term of Service

Age

Powers?

Unit III: Institutions of Government

Congress

Census used to determine the number of representatives each state gets

Unit III: Institutions of Government

Congress: How representative is it?

Is it fair that
California Senators
Feinstein and Boxer represent 37 million people while
Wyoming Senators
Barrasso and Enzi represent 568,000?

Congress: How representative is it?
British legacy

Single member districts with plurality elections

First past the post vs. Proportional representation systems

Congress: The Two Party System

Why does the
United States have a two party system?

Congress: The Two Party System


Why does the
United States have a two party system?
Duverger’s Law:
First past the post electoral systems with plurality elections lead to
Two-party political systems

Congress: The Two Party System

Proportional representation systems lead to multiparty system

The need for coalition building leads to greater minority representation

Congress: The Two Party System

Proportional representation systems lead to multiparty system


The need for coalition building leads to greater minority representation

Congress: The Two Party System

Partisan
Redistricting
 a.k.a.
Gerrymandering

Drawing the boundaries of a
Congressional district so as to favor one party over another

Congress: The Two Party System

Partisan Redistricting

Parties use this process to choose their voters before the voters get a chance to choose them.

This minimizes the role of the voter.

Congress: The Two Party System

Partisan Redistricting

In 2008, incumbents lost
3 US House races in
Florida-- in 1982-2006, incumbents won 242 of
246 races

In 2008, the average US
House race in Illinois was won 70% to 30%since 1994, more than half of winners have been "untouchable"

Congress: The Two Party System


Racial
Gerrymandering
North Carolina’s
Majority/Minority districts

Shaw v. Reno
(1993)

Shaw v. Hunt (1996)

Congress: The Two Party System

Racial
Gerrymandering

North Carolina’s
Majority/Minority districts

Shaw v. Reno
(1993)

District 12 – bright green