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