U.S. Government and Civics / Unit 6: Congress
6.6 Representation and Oversight
Notes
Members balance what voters want with their own judgment, and they also watch over the executive branch.
- Delegate model: vote as constituents want. Trustee model: use one's own judgment. Politico model: mix of both depending on the issue.
- Casework: helping constituents with problems such as veterans' benefits or passports.
- Pork barrel spending (earmarks): funding for projects in a member's district. Logrolling: trading votes ("I'll vote for your bill if you vote for mine").
- Incumbency advantage: most members who run for reelection win, helped by name recognition, casework and fundraising.
- Oversight: Congress holds hearings, investigates agencies and controls funding (the "power of the purse").
- Budget: mandatory spending (such as Social Security and Medicare) is set by existing law; discretionary spending (such as defense and education programs) is decided each year in appropriations bills.
Practice
A representative votes for a bill her district strongly opposes because she believes it is best for the country. She is acting as a:
Trustees rely on their own judgment.
Two members agree to vote for each other's bills. This is called:
Logrolling is trading votes to pass legislation.
A Senate committee holds hearings to question officials about problems at a federal agency. This is an example of:
Oversight is Congress reviewing how the executive branch carries out laws.
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