The First Branch: Incumbency Advantage, The
Incumbency not only gives a candidate name recognition and the perks that come with the office, but the support provided by their political party. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez talks about her uphill battle against a well-entrenched incumbent candid...
The First Branch: United States Senate, The
The Senate operates differently than the House of Representatives although party leadership is still a factor. In the Senate sponsors on both sides of the political aisle are usually necessary in order to get anything done. Sixty votes are needed to...
The First Branch: House of Representatives--A Majority-Rule Chamber, The
The House of Representatives is a majority rule chamber. With a reasonably cohesive majority, the leadership can control the agenda and everything that happens. Many observers of the Washington scene rate the Speaker of the House second only in powe...
The First Branch: How Does It Feel to Be a New Member of Congress?
Mickey Edwards, Jim McDermott, and Loretta Sanchez tell what it is like to walk into the House chambers for the first time as a newly elected members of Congress. Congress, like most national legislatures, has been dominated by men and moneyed inter...
The First Branch: Challenges of Freshmen Congressmen
The challenges of the first few months in Congress can be daunting. It helps to have a mentor who can explain the hierarchy and the bewildering array of procedures and protocol. It is also important to fill staff positions with people who are experi...
The First Branch: Changing Congressional Boundaries
Redistricting, changing Congressional boundaries every ten years based on population shifts recorded by the census, is one of the most conflictual events In politics. The party in control tries to get as many of their partisans elected as possible, ...
Government by Committee: Journey of a Bill
An average of 10,000 bills are introduced and referred to committee over the course of a two-year legislative term. Bills that do not easily fit within the scope of a single committee are referred to several committees or bypass this step altogether...