The American Democracy, 10th Edition (Patterson)

Chapter 11: Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests

Chapter Outline



  1. Congress as a Career: Election to Congress
    1. Using Incumbency to Stay in Congress
      1. The Service Strategy: Taking Care of Constituents
      2. Campaign Fund-Raising: Raking in the Money
      3. Redistricting: Favorable Boundaries for House Incumbents
    2. Pitfalls of Incumbency
      1. Disruptive Issues
      2. Personal Misconduct
      3. Turnout Variation: The Midterm Election Problem
      4. Primary Election Challengers
      5. General Election Challengers: A Problem for Senators
    3. Safe Incumbency and Representation
    4. Who Are the Winners in Congressional Elections?
  2. Parties and Party Leadership
    1. Party Unity in Congress
    2. Party Leadership in Congress
      1. House Leaders
      2. Senate Leaders
  3. Committees and Committee Leadership
    1. Committee Jurisdiction
    2. Committee Membership
    3. Committee Chairs
    4. Committees and Parties: Which Is in Control?
  4. How a Bill Becomes Law
    1. Committee Hearings and Decisions
    2. From Committee to the Floor
    3. Leadership and Floor Action
    4. Conference Committees and the President
  5. Congress's Policymaking Role
    1. The Lawmaking Function of Congress
      1. Broad Issues: Fragmentation as a Limit on Congress's Role
      2. Congress in the Lead: Fragmentation as a Policymaking Strength
    2. The Representation Function of Congress
      1. Representation of States and Districts
      2. Representation of the Nation through Parties
    3. The Oversight Function of Congress
  6. Congress: Too Fragmented?
Patterson Tenth Edition Large Cover
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