DOL&S Chapters 9 and 10

“Decision Making in Congress” and “Congress and the President”

Cromnibus bill in December 2014 – continuing resolution for the rest of the fiscal year, many objectionable provisions but it had to be passed to keep the government operating

The Power to Choose

            Types of Decisions

Specializing, timing of decisions, taking the lead, taking part, offering amendments, casting votes, what do votes mean?

Determinants of Voting

            Party and Voting – strongest single correlate of members’ voting decisions

Ideology and Voting – Democratic coalition is more ideologically diverse than Republican

Constituency and Voting

The Presidency and Voting

Cue-Givers and Roll Call Votes

Legislative Bargaining

            Implicit and Explicit

            Logrolling, bargaining strategy

The President as Legislator

            The power to persuade (Neustadt)

            Going Public: The Rhetorical President

            The Administrative President

            The “Two Presidencies” (foreign and domestic policy, Aaron Wildavsky)

The Veto Power: Veto options, veto strategies, post-veto action

            Signing statements, pocket vetoes, line-item veto

Sources of Legislative-Executive Cooperation

            Party Loyalties and Public Expectations

            Bargaining and Compromise, informal links

Sources of Legislative-Executive Conflict

            Constitutional Ambiguities

            Different Constituencies

            Different Time Perspectives

The Balance of Power