Congress

The current structure of Congress has been the subject of much criticism lately. This committee organization has been blamed for everything from the growth of the bureaucracy and big government to the expansion of presidential power. Members of Congress have also been the subject of disdain for both paying too much attention and not enough to their constituents. These paradoxes are important topics of discussion if Congress is ever to be reformed or even understood.

One subject of the contempt that many hold for Congress and its activities is the constant struggle that congresspeople go through in seeking re-election. In Document 56, Morris Fiorina expands upon this theme. Members of Congress employ many strategies in this quest. These include position taking, pork barreling, and casework. In position taking, candidates are able to associate themselves with issues popular in their districts. Many candidates have nearly homogenous districts, allowing them to grow support by taking similar stances, without having to actually do anything. As Mayhew says in Document 61, “The position itself is the political commodity.” (Congress: The Electoral Connection, Woll, 374) Politicians mold their declarations very prudently, “watching each other’s elections to try to figure out what positions are salable.” (Congress: The Electoral Connection, Woll, 375)

Pork barreling is another useful trick politicians use to try to influence their electability. This is the practice whereby members of Congress utilize their cachet to pass certain “pet projects” that benefit their specific constituencies. It utilizes the belief that “new federal projects bring jobs, shiny new facilities, and general economic prosperity.” (The Rise of the Washington Establishment, Woll, 338) These projects are usually not controversial, unlike legislature, and widely accepted by conservatives and liberals alike. Unfortunately these are often costly projects that are passed in lieu of other federal projects, such as welfare. Also, they eat up funds that might be used in more general projects that would benefit a larger slice of people.

Casework is somewhat similar to pork barrel spending in that it also speaks directly to the constituency. It is basically the instance where “some poor, aggrieved constituent becomes enmeshed in the tentacles of an evil bureaucracy and calls upon Congressman St. George to do battle with the dragon.” (The Rise of the Washington Establishment, Woll, 338) This perpetrates an unfortunate image that each congressperson is individually working for good against an unfair and outdated system, where in reality these are the people who are in fact responsible for the unwieldy bureaucracy.

Basically, according to Document 56, big government is encouraged because legislation is drafted in rather vague terms. This creates agencies which must “translate a vague policy mandate into a functioning program, a process which necessitates the…the trampling of numerous toes.” (The Rise of the Washington Establishment, Woll, 341) However, members of Congress are safely out of harms’ way behind these agencies. Then, constituents generally complain to their individual congressperson of the “obscure decision process of the bureaucracy.” (The Rise of the Washington Establishment, Woll, 341) Then, the congressional representative is able to take individual credit for helping out and perpetuates their kindly, helpful image among their constituency. As Fiorina states, “Congressmen take credit coming and going. They are the alpha and the omega.” (The Rise of the Washington Establishment, Woll, 341) The bureaucracy partly exists in order to be “a convenient lightning rod for the public frustration and a convenient whipping boy for congressmen.” (The Rise of the Washington Establishment, Woll, 341)

Another argument has been set forth that the aim of re-election actually takes a back seat to the struggle for power in determining the actions and organization of Congress. In Document 57, Lawrence C Dodd contends that the statistics actually show that most incumbents are re-elected, so, especially as time goes on and the experience and seniority of members of Congress increases they get to spend less and less time on drumming up support in their constituencies and more on lobbying for power within Congress. As Dodd concisely states, “The existence of secure electoral margins thus allows members to devote considerable effort toward capturing a “power position” within Congress and generating a mystique of special authority that is necessary to legitimize a select decision-making role for them in the eyes of their nominal peers.” (Congress and the Quest for Power, Woll, 345) With the rise in seniority and power, congresspeople are also thrust more into the public eye, and so receive free, but sometimes-controversial publicity. The committee system, they say, is specifically set up to spread this power around, but also concentrate it in certain specialized individuals. Committees can handle many varied issues and allow more expert groups to weigh in on a bill before it is passed to the more amateur general Congress. They also split up the work and cull out bills that are impractical or unwanted.

Many critics of the committee system state that the lack of central leadership severely impairs Congress’ ability to “fulfill its constitutional responsibilities to make legislative policy and oversee the implementation of that policy.” (Congress and the Quest for Power, Woll, 350) This committee work is often incoherent, as is shown in the process of passing bills. As the bills are distributed between committees, a committee on making the bill into one consistent form is often needed. Bills are also passed in different forms between the House and the Senate, necessitating another committee to iron out a compromise. Also problematic is the unity of Congress as a body. If, for instance, Congress wishes to take a different stance on an issue than the President, the President is often able to make a more effective argument because of being “able to present a straightforward and publicized position.” (Congress and the Quest for Power, Woll, 350) Finally, a very salient point is fiscal responsibility. As a rule, it is never desirable to have to pass further taxes to pay for a program, so generally more programs get budgeted for than actually get money. If there were more central leadership, perhaps the budget could be more coordinated and aligned with reality. It also leaves Congress open for Presidential interference in fiscal matters, acting as a voice of reason: “The result, of course, will be a concomitant loss of the congressional control over the nation’s purse strings.” (Congress and the Quest for Power, Woll, 351)

Always a problem, but exacerbated by the committee system, is accountability. With the large number of people involved in making a bill, it is difficult to pinpoint the main players. Many committees conduct their business behind closed doors, and even if they don’t the accounts of minutes are so dense very few bother to decipher them. This system “isolates Congress from the nation at large.” (Congress and the Quest for Power, Woll, 352) This closed deliberation also fuels the suspicion of congressional activity by the general public, making lawmaking seem elitist and unable to be understood by citizens.

Yet another controversy of Congress is whether members should have positions entirely representative of their constituencies, or be swayed by their personal feelings and judgments. One position on this was expressed by a member of Parliament in 1774, that the representative “owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.” (Speech to the Electors of Bristol, Woll, 356) This has been debated ever since then.

Until major steps are made to reform Congress, the committee system and the constitutionality of it will continue to be debated. While the general public does not know or understand Congress as a whole, many feel great loyalty to their personal representative because of pork barrel spending and casework. It needs to be understood that these actions merely increase the big government that many rail against.

-Ellen