Category: Nursing

What is the Federal Bureaucracy?

An administrative group of non elected officials charged with implementing the policies created by the other branches of government

What does the term “federal bureaucracy” make you think of when you hear it? Federal regulations? Red tape? Government waste and fraud?

Have you ever thought about:

who creates the federal agencies?

who gives the federal agencies their authority to carry out and enforce federal laws?

who are federal employees?

what are federal regulations?

The American federal bureaucracy is sometimes referred to as the 
“
4th branch of government
“
 because of its shear size, responsibilities, and power it has over the daily lives of Americans. If you pay federal taxes, travel to a national park, like Yellowstone, purchase treasury bonds, receive a Social Security check, or are currently on Medicare, or simply go to the post office, you have had some contact with the federal bureaucracy. Businesses must also closely review the 
Federal Register
 to seeing if any proposed or final regulations impact their business.

The image at right is depicting FEMA helping citizens after a natural disaster.

Some of my students may be currently serving or in the past have served in the military and in a civilian position within one of the fifteen (15) Executive Departments and in the more than fifty (50) independent federal agencies. Students may also have family members who are currently employed or have formerly worked in the federal government.

Other students may wish to join the military or work in one of the Cabinet-level departments like the U.S. Department of Justice, Homeland Security or in one of the independent agencies, like NASA, and would be interested in knowing who to contact for employment and the process for hiring and firing of federal workers.

In this lesson, I hope to give you insight into the inner workings of the federal bureaucracy, as well as knowledge of how to obtain gainful employment in the federal government.

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Why does the President of the United States have the Power to Direct the Actions of the Federal Agencies, Including his Executive or Cabinet-level Departments?

As you are aware, the President of the United States has the power under Article II of the U.S. Constitution to 
“faithfully execute the laws” 
passed by the U.S. Congress. The President has the responsibility to carry out and enforce the laws.

Congress creates the federal agencies to help the President carry out and enforce federal laws it has enacted. The federal agencies, including the Cabinet-level departments, their political appointees and civilian and military personnel make up the federal bureaucracy. For example after 9/11, Congress created in 2002, the 
Department for Homeland Security 
to help the President more efficiently and effectively protect the United States against domestic terrorism through implementation and enforcement of immigration, border and airport security, and customs related federal laws.

Federal agencies must make sure that all federal laws are carried out and enforced as Congress intended and those individuals who head them up or work in them are accountable to the President and to Congress and ultimately to the American people. The Federal Bureaucracy

What is the Definition of Bureaucracy
?

“An administrative group of non elected officials charged with implementing the policies created by the other branches of government.” (Khan Academy, 2020)

Often, the iron triangle is used to describe the bureaucracy as it is a almost a pyramid shape hierarchy. Khan further describes the iron triangle as a relationship between a bureaucrat, interest group, and a committee of Congress that all work on similar issues.

In short, in the federal agencies, power flows from the top down and in order to ensure fairness and efficiency, federal employees have to follow certain rules and procedures. Individuals who work in the civil service are protected from being fired by federal law and military personnel are subject to the U.S. Code of Military Justice.

If you are a 
“political appointee”
 like our Cabinet Secretaries, for example, President Obama may fire you without cause because you 
“serve at the will and pleasure”
 of the President. Former President G. W. Bush could have “let go” former Secretary of State, Condi Rice, because the President did not like her hair style or because she wore dress boots. This did not happen, but no one would question a President’s authority to dismiss her for such minor transgressions. However, if something so unlikely did occur to a political appointee, would he have civil service protections like the federal civilian employees under his supervision? No. Poltical appointees cannot turn to the 
Federal Merit Protection Board
 for help in reinstating their job or for back wages if they believed they were “fired without cause.”

The image shows Condi Rice in Germany with American Troops in Germany on February 23, 2005.

What is the Definition of a Bureaucrat?

Often bureaucrats are long-time career government employees. They generally work under the executive branch in one of the many cabinet level departments. These include the National Parks Service and FBI (
US History 8c
).

Federal civilian personnel have often been characterized as “paper pushers,” and creators of government waste, but most federal workers are hard-working individuals who do their best to serve the American people and their President.

Today there are approximately 4 million federal workers – – 2.7 million federal civilian workers and 1.4 million military personnel (
US History 8c
). Most federal civilian workers do 
not 
work in Washington, D.C., but across the United States.

In Dayton, Ohio, you can find federal employees at Wright Pat Air Force Base and in the Federal Building downtown. If you need the assistance of federal law enforcement, or help in securing a small business loan, or help getting your social security check, you can contact your 
local
federal government offices. The Federal Bureaucracy.

What are the 
Federalist Papers?

The Federalist Papers
 are a group of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay to persuade New Yorkers to adopt the proposed U.S. Constitution in 1787. These essays were published in newspapers throughout the states to win public support for the U.S. Constitution. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court looks to these essays to determine “framers’ intent” as to the meaning of the U.S. Constitution.

What are the 
Federalist Papers?

Structure of U.S. Congress

The U.S. Congress has a 
bicameral structure
. This means it is a two (2) house legislature. Under our first U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, the Confederation Congress was unicameral — a one (1) house legislature.

James Madison, in 
Federalist #51
, 
explains how to prevent the U.S. Congress from becoming too powerful. He said to divide it into two (2) chambers (U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate) and each chamber would check the other. This would be a way to defuse power within the national legislature.

He also believed that each chamber should be “rendered different modes of elections” — that there should be direct election of representatives in the House and the state legislature should choose the U.S. Senators. Finally, the House and Senate should be given “different principals of action” — different responsibilities. Madison in
 
Federalist#51 
states that the House and Senate should be “as little connected with each other as to the nature of their common functions and their common dependence on society will admit.” This would effectively reduce the power of the national legislature visa via the executive and judicial branches of government. 
What are the
Federalist Papers?

 

Representation in the U.S. Congress

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the delegates to the Convention had to decide how many representatives from each state would take a seat in the House and Senate. They reached a compromise, known as the 
Great Compromise
 
authored by Roger Sherman from Connecticut. The Congress would be bicameral in structure and the House would have “proportional representation” and the Senate “equal representation.”

 

Wait a minute! What does

“Proportional Representation” and

“Equal Representation” mean?

 

To learn more about the Great Compromise, go to: 
The Great Compromise.

How does the Census work and

why is it so important for

my state?

 

Location of U.S. Capitol

Why choose Washington, D.C. for the location of the U.S. Capitol?

Washington, D.C. was a 
compromise location
 for the U.S. Capitol. The southern states had all paid their share of the revolutionary war debt, but some of the northern states had not done so. Thomas Jefferson brokered an agreement that in return for the federal government absorbing the northern states’ debt through increased taxes, the U.S. Capitol would be placed within a Federal District located in the south.

When planning a visit to Washington, D.C., you may wish to learn more about the new Visitors Center at the U.S. Capitol (opened Fall 2008). You can go to
 
U.S. Capitol Visitors Center
.

Composition and Qualifications of U.S. House of Representatives

(See: 
ARTICLE I, SECTION 2
 
of the U.S. Constitution)

WHO ELECTS MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES?

The U.S. House of Representatives is elected directly by the people. The people who live in a Congressional District vote for a representative (Congressman/woman) every two years. The framers of our U.S. Constitution wanted the people to choose their representatives (as they had during colonial times and under the Articles of Confederation (our first U.S. Constitution (1781-1788). This was the basis for a representative democracy. The people are the source of power in a republic and their representatives are accountable on Election Day.

HOW LONG DO THEY SERVE?

The Congressman/woman stands for re-election every 
two (2) years
 because James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wanted to keep members close to the people, always concerned with re-election, and the people’s needs. They wanted to make them dependent on the people for re-election. This was the way to maintain the public trust (
 Federalist #57 
, 385). “Duty, gratitude, interest, ambition itself are the cords by which they will be bound to fidelity and sympathy with the great mass of the people” (
Federalist #57
, 385).

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DOES IT TAKE TO RUN FOR A SEAT IN THE HOUSE?

To run for a seat in the House you need not hold a Ph.D., be a lawyer, or even a high school graduate. 
There are simply three (3) constitutional qualifications you must meet:

Age
: 25 years old

Citizenship
: 7 years

Residency:
 When elected, be an “Inhabitant of the state.”

 

What does be an “inhabitant”

of the state mean?

 

 

What is there is a vacancy in the

U.S. House of Representatives?

 

 

Composition and Qualifications of U.S. Senators

(See: 
ARTICLE I, SECTION 3
, U.S. Constitution)

WHO ELECTS U.S. SENATORS?

Today the people directly elect their U.S. Senators. Prior to the ratification (approval) of the 
17th Amendment in 1913
, state legislatures chose two individuals to represent their states as U.S. Senators. The framers of our present day U.S. Constitution wanted to give states an interest in making sure our newly established government would be a success. Thus, let the states select the U.S. Senators!

To learn more about state legislatures choice of U.S. Senators prior to 1913, go to:

Senate
 
— and Click on 
“Art & History”
.

HOW LONG DO THEY SERVE?

U.S. Senators serve 
six- year terms
 and there are 
no term limits
. The framers wanted the U.S. Senators to be less subject to pressure of public opinion and pleas of special interests.

To learn more about why the delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 chose a six year term for U.S. Senators, go to:

Six-year Senate Terms

WHAT CONSTITUTIONAL QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO RUN FOR A U.S. SENATE SEAT?

Age:
 30 years old

U.S. Citizen
: 9 years

Residency:
 when elected be an “inhabitant of the state”

The Impeachment Process

The House and the Senate share responsibility over the impeachment process. The responsibilities of each body are different. One charges the federal officer with an impeachable offense and the other holds a trial.

What does the U.S. Constitution state about the role of the House in the impeachment process?

Article 1, section 2
 of the U.S. Constitution states:

“The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment.”

The House has the “
power to charge a federal officer
” with an impeachable offense by passing bills or articles of impeachment that outline the charges being made against the federal officer. These Article(s) of Impeachment are first considered by the House Judiciary Committee (the committee that has jurisdiction (authority) to review impeachments), and if approved, are brought to the House for a vote. A majority of the members of the House (218) must approve the Article(s) of Impeachment. If the House approves the Article(s) of Impeachment then the federal officer has been “impeached.”

 

How many articles of impeachment

have been brought to the House

for a vote? Was Clinton impeached?

 

Was President Donald Trump

impeached by the U.S. House

of Representatives?

 

Who can be Impeached?

Article II, section 4 
of the U.S. Constitution states that:

“the President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the U.S. shall be removed..”

 

Wait a minute! Who are the “civil

officers of the U.S.? Can a member

of Congress be impeached?

 

What is an “Impeachable Offense?”

The U.S. Constitution states that a federal officer can be removed for treason, bribery, and other High crimes and misdemeanors (Article II, section 4, U.S. Constitution). Treason is defined in the Constitution (Article III) and bribery is generally thought to mean getting a favor in return for a favor (“quid pro quo”). What is not clear is the meaning of “other High crimes and misdemeanors.” The House determines what are “High crimes and misdemeanors.” They do not have to involve an actual crime. It could include, but is not limited to, neglect of duty and breach of public trust. Misdemeanor in this context simply means “bad conduct.”

For more information on the impeachment process, see Alexander Hamilton’s essays on the Impeachment process in the 
Federalist 
papers #65, #66. Go to:

Federalist #65

Federalist #66

For more information about the efforts to impeach Andrew Johnson in March 1867, go to:

Andrew Johnson (White House History)

What is the Role of the Senate in the Impeachment Process?

Once the House acts to impeach the President, for example, then the Senate is responsible for holding a trial (see Article I, section 3, U.S. Constitution). Evidence is presented by the attorneys representing the President and House managers (members of the House Judiciary Committee) to the Senators. The Senators may only submit their questions in writing to the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court who presides over the trial if the impeachment involves a President. Witnesses can be called to testify or as in President Clinton’s case, videotaped testimony of Monica Lewinsky and Vernon Jordan, the President’s close friend, were introduced as evidence.

Where two-thirds (2/3) of the Senators (present) vote to “convict” on one or more of the Articles of Impeachment, the U.S. Constitution requires that the federal officer, here the President, be immediately 
removed from office
 (seeArticle I, section 3, U.S. Constitution).

The Senate can also take vote to disqualify the federal officer from holding and enjoying “any office of honor, trust, or profit under the U.S.” (Article I, Section 3 
,
 U.S. Constitution). This means that the President could be prohibited from running for Congress, or from being appointed to the federal bench.

 

Did the Senate vote to convict and

remove President Clinton?

 

Did the Senate hold a trial

to “convict and remove”

President Trump?

 

If a President is removed from office, he can be indicted for crimes he may have committed. The U.S. Constitution states that the federal officer, here the President, shall be “liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment according to the law” (Article I, section 3).

For example, had President Clinton been convicted (for perjury before a federal grand jury and for obstruction of justice) and removed from the Presidency, he could have been indicted (formally charged) with perjury before a Federal grand jury and obstruction of justice by the U.S. Department of Justice, tried, and if found guilty by a jury, served time in prison.

Didn’t President Clinton get held

for contempt?

 

 

Express Powers and Implied Powers

The U.S. Congress has 
express powers
, those written in the U.S. Constitution,(See Article I, Section 8, U.S. Constitution)and 
implied powers
 (those powers that would be “appropriate, convenient, and useful” in carrying out its express powers” 
McCulloch v. Maryland
). For example, one of Congress’s implied powers is to be able to draft men into combat (express power is to raise an army). Congress’s implied power is provided for in the “necessary and proper” clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Displayed is the famous Uncle Sam “I want you for U.S. Army” recruitment poster.

You need 
not memorize
 all the express powers. Only a few will be mentioned below:

Lay and collect taxes – – Under the Articles of Confederation, our first constitution, the Confederation Congress could only ask the state legislatures for revenue. It lacked the power to directly tax the people and thus, had problems raising revenue to pay for the Revolutionary War, among other things. The framers of our current constitution addressed this problem by ensuring that the national Congress could directly tax the people. Today, those of you who earn enough money, pay federal Income Tax.

Pay its debts.

Provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.

Borrow money (federal government sells government securities, Treasury bonds and notes) .

Regulate interstate commerce (buying and selling or exchange of goods between states) , foreign commerce (foreign trade, like NAFTA and CAFTA), and trade with the Indian tribes.

Coin money (and regulate its value).

Establish post offices.

Establish lower federal courts – – like the U.S. Tax Court and military courts .

Declare war (last formal declaration of war after attack on Pearl Harbor).

Raise and support the army (armed forces).

Provide and maintain a navy.

Make the rules/regulation for governing the conduct of our military personnel – – U.S. Code of Military Justice.

Issue and regulate patents and copyrights.

Govern the naturalization process – – foreign born individual wants to obtain U.S. citizenship and must look to federal law that governs the nationalization process

Determine immigration policies – – legal and illegal immigration is within the purview of Congress – – Congress has full authority over aliens.

Committee Organization and How a Bill Becomes Law

Committee Organization and Responsibilities

Both the House and Senate have
standing committees
. They are 
permanent committees
 that live on from one Congress until the next, unless they are abolished by members of Congress. While the number of committees may change in both houses of Congress, currently there are 17 standing committees in the Senate and 20 standing committees in the House.

Each committee is chaired by a member of the majority party and has a ranking member (member of the minority party). In the 117th Congress, all chairs of committees are Democrats and all ranking members are Republicans. “Committee on Committees” (one for each party) in each house will choose who will sit on the committees. 
In the House
 
, the Speaker can select all the chairs, but most often he selects those most senior on the committees to head them up. A rule (2005) 
in the Senate
 
, permits the Senate Majority Leader to fill one-half (1/2) of all vacancies on major committees. Committee Organization and How a Bill Becomes Law.

Can more than one committee have jurisdiction over the same bill? 
Yes. It is possible for two or more committees to have authority to review different aspects of a bill, like a healthcare bill.

Standing committees can consider proposed legislation – – committee members will debate and vote on a bill. Each standing committee has jurisdiction or power to consider only certain kinds of bills. For example, the House and Senate Judiciary Committees would be able to consider immigration reform and anti-terrorism legislation. However, they could not review farm legislation that comes under the authority of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.

Wait a minute! Aren’t there other types of committees?  

Yes, of course! There are 
Select Committees 
that generally only conduct 
special investigations
 and report back to the House or Senate. For example, there is the 
Senate Select Committee on Ethics
 (investigates the unethical behavior of Senators).

The 
House Select Committee on Homeland Security 
(established in 2004) does in fact consider legislation relating to protecting the homeland and the members of the House have recently made this a standing committee.

There is also a 
Select Committee on Intelligence
 in both the House and Senate that approves funding for our intelligence agencies.

 

In addition, there are Joint Committees in the Congress as well. 
Joint Committees
 are made up of members of Congress from both houses and they generally are considered 
“study committees.”
 For example, the Joint Committee on the Library focuses on the needs of the Library of Congress.

There is one type of committee that you must remember – – Conference Committees. 
Conference Committees
 are 
temporary committees
 that are established by the House and Senate to 
work out compromises on legislation
 
.
 If the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill (e.g., Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill where House bill requires mandatory withdrawal of troops from Iraq by September 1, 2008 and Senate bill provides for nonmandatory withdrawal of troops from Iraq beginning 120 days after enactment of the bill and withdrawal of most troops by March 2008), a Conference Committee made up of party leaders of both the House and Senate, authors (sponsors) of the bills, chairman and ranking members (vice chairs) of the committees with authority to review appropriations bills will meet to draft compromise language. This compromise is placed in a Conference Report and must be approved by both houses (no amendments/changes can be offered to Conference Reports) before going to the President for his signature. If one house of Congress fails to accept the Conference Report, the bill dies!

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Committees carry out the following functions:

Lawmaking 
– – authorize (create and approve funding) new federal programs (e.g., prescription drugs for senior citizens who receive Medicare), annually reauthorize (re-approve) most current federal programs (e.g., funding for national parks), and authorize/reauthorize funding for all the federal agencies (e.g., Department of Defense or CIA). Most of the committees in the Congress are also authorizing committees, but there is one Appropriation Committee in the House and Senate that firmly establishes through legislation the funding levels for all federal programs and agencies. You may have heard that Congress has the “power of the purse.” It does so because it can provide funding for federal programs and agencies.

Oversight 
– – authorizing committees must oversee the operation of all federal agencies and the programs they are asked by the Congress to carry out and enforce. This will be addressed later in the Chapter on the federal bureaucracy.

Investigative 
– – Congress has the power to investigate when the federal agencies or officials fail to carry out their responsibilities (Congress investigated the lack of finding weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq after President was told by the intelligence community that there were WMD in Iraq). Also, when agencies are carrying out the law and something goes terribly wrong – – explosion of the Challenger and Columbia – – Congress can investigate to see what happened and enact legislation to ensure it does not happen again!

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Kathy and Jenny will enter into a colloquy
 
about the Legislative Process:

 

Jenny, don’t you remember how long it took to fully understand how a bill becomes law?

 

 

Yes. It seems so easy to understand now after working on Capitol Hill, but I do remember how frustrating it could be trying to appreciate all its complexities. You thought you understood the process, and then you learned some new procedure!

 

I was trying to remember some of the questions we asked our legislative director. One of them was: do bills have to be introduced into both the House and Senate to get consideration?

 

No. A bill can be introduced into one house of Congress and be debated in subcommittee, then full committee, and on the House or Senate floor. Once the House, for example, passes a welfare reform bill, then the bill can be sent to the Senate for its consideration. If there are any changes (amendments) are made to the welfare bill, then the bill is sent back to the House for approval of those amendments. If they are not accepted by the House, the bill is dead and must be reintroduced the next Congress. Committee Organization and How a Bill Becomes Law

But, can legislation be considered in both houses of Congress at the same time?

 

Of course! Both the House and Senate can be working on the same bill or an entirely different version of the bill. Let’s say, that the House and Senate pass different versions of the bill; the bill cannot go to the President for his signature because the House and Senate the bills do not contain identical language.

A Conference Committee, a temporary committee , is created to work out a compromise between the House and Senate bills. Sponsors (authors) of the two bills, Republican and Democratic Party leaders, committee chairs and ranking members are usually named to sit on the Conference Committee. They are called “conferees.”

What steps does a bill go through to get enacted by the Congress?

 

Look at the CHART on the LEGISLATIVE PROCESS below. 

Legislative Process

This image shows a diagram of a the legislative process. 

The top half is labeled as 
U.S. Senate. 
It moves downward beginning with the statement “By unanimous consent a Senator can bring a bill to floor for debate and vote. Under that is Full Committee – Consider Bill: Hearings have “markups” Vote on Amendments & Bill. An arrow goes left to U.S. Senate. Another line moves downward to Sub Committee Consider Bill: Hearings “markups” Vote on Amendments and Bill. A line to the left connects it to President Pro Tempore Desk Clerk with an upwards right line to President Pro Tempore refers bill to the Committee w/Jurisdiction. A line from the box also goes down to Bill. 

A line then separates this section from one labeled as 
U.S. House of Representatives.
 A line connects Bill from the Senate portion to U.S. House of Representatives. A line moves right from this box with the word Calendar to a box labeled Rules Committee. Under that box it reads DRAFT RULE for Bill: 1. Set time for debate 1. # of Amendments 3. Order of Amendments and on its opposite side Majority leader will schedule a bill for a vote. . The line continues to a box labeled Full Committee with a line and the words Consider Bill: hearings and “markups,” Vote on Amendments & Bill, Report Bill out of Full Committee and on its opposite side Speaker refers bill to committee w/jurisdiction. The line continues to a box labeled Sub-Committee with the text Consider Bill: Hearings “markups,” Vote on Amendments & Bill, 90% of bills die in Sub-Committee. From the prior mentioned box U.S. House of Representatives another line points to “committee of the whole” and another to a box called Speaker Office which is connected to Sub-Committee as mentioned earlier. A final line from the U.S. House box has to the side Consideration H.R. 1 Sponsor/Co-Sponsor, Dear Colleague Letter, and finally ending at Floor Action 1. Debate Rule/Vote, 2. Debate Bill, 3. Debate/Vote on Amendments, 4. Vote on bill as amended. 

When you looked at the Chart above, did you notice the bills must first be considered by a Subcommittee first? Why do subcommittees consider a bill first?

Yes. After I got the hang of looking at the chart!

Once a bill, for example, a welfare bill, is introduced into the House, the bill is printed and sent to the Speaker’s office. The Speaker then refers the bill to the committee that has jurisdiction or authority to review the bill. Once the bill is forwarded in this case, to the chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, he will send the bill to the Subcommittee on Human Resources that has authority, in this case, to consider welfare legislation first 
.

Does the subcommittee have to hold hearings on the bill or give it any consideration at all?

 

Yes. After I got the hang of looking at your chart!

Absolutely not! If the Chair of the subcommittee doesn’t want the bill to be reviewed by the subcommittee, he need not hold hearings exploring the nature and impact of the bill. The members of the subcommittee may “kill” the bill by not providing majority support for it during a markup of the bill. In a markup session, the bill is debated and amendments or changes to the bill are offered and voted upon.

Take a look at the 
Committee on Ways and Means
 chart below.

 

This image shows a diagram of the Committee on Ways and Means, with that term in the middle. The description of this image is Committee w/jurisdiction to consider certain types of Legislation. 

The center box is labeled Ways & Means Committee (full committee) Rep Dem. This is an authorizing committee. From this central piece are six connected boxes labeled and described as follows: 

Social Security Subcommittee: Social Security

Trade Subcommittee: NAFTA

Tax Subcommittee: Tax Reform

Health Subcommittee: Medicare

Human Resources Subcommittee: Welfare

Oversight Subcommittee: IRS

The image ends with the statement, “House Rules Determine # of Committees/subcommittees and ratio of majority to minority members on the committee.”

So, if the Subcommittee on Human Resources passes the bill, is it then sent to the Committee on Ways and Means? Does the Full Committee have to debate and pass a bill?

 

To answer your first question. Yes. The bill moves to the Full Committee for its consideration. And no, the Full Committee need not hold hearings or debate and vote on the bill. In the case of our example, welfare legislation, the Chair can choose not to hold hearings or have a “Markup” on the bill. This effectively “kills” the bill in the Committee on Ways and Means. The bill would have to be reintroduced in the next Congress. Yes, it is a tedious process.

I noticed that the Committee on Ways and Means only considers certain types of bills; is this always the case in all committees in the House and Senate?

 

Yes. You wouldn’t be aware of this, but I referenced this in our Week3 Lesson. All committees and their subcommittees are empowered by the rules of the House and Senate to consider only certain types of legislation. For example, the Committee on Agriculture would not decide whether we need to raise the salary of our military personnel. This issue would be addressed by the Committee on Armed Services that has the jurisdiction to consider this matter.

What happens after the Committee passes a bill, does the bill go to the floor of the House?

 

Only if it gets a rule issued by the Rules Committee in the House. If the bill passes a committee in the Senate, a Senator can ask that it be immediately brought to the floor for consideration (by “Unanimous Consent” I bring up the bill, S. 4, Welfare Reform).

 

What is the House Rules Committee?

 

The House Rules Committee is the most powerful committee in the House because it sets the timeframe for debate on a bill and amendments that can be offered to it on the floor of the House. This is the way debate is limited in the House! If the Chair decides not to issue a Rule for consideration for the bill on the floor of the House, the bill dies in Rules Committee. This also happens if the members of the Rules Committee fail to approve a Rule for debate on a bill.

 

If the Rule is approved, does the bill then go to the House floor?

 

Yes. And it must first be approved by the House before a bill can be debated by the entire membership. Generally, if the member wants the bill to be debated, he will vote “Yes” on the Rule. If a member is opposed to the bill, he/she will vote “No.” on the Rule. The member may vote “No” on the Rule, if his amendment (s) to the bill was not permitted to be offered on the floor of the House.

 

Does the Senate have a formal rule setting debate time for a bill?

 

No. Unlike the House, a bill can be debated on the floor of the Senate for as long as Senators wish to debate it. For practical purposes, the Senator Majority and Minority leaders work out a timeframe for debate – – let us say, let’s debate welfare reform for two weeks, but it is not binding. Committee Organization and How a Bill Becomes Law

 

If a Senator does not want a bill or Presidential nomination to be voted on, can he prevent a vote?

 

Through use of a filibuster bill. Senators can “talk a bill to death” – – control the floor until the Majority Leader pulls the bill. To end a debate, a motion for Cloture must be adopted – – a debate ending procedure. Sixty (60) Senators must vote for Cloture. If they do, the bill can be voted upon.

On March 6 and 7, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) led a “talking filibuster” – – 12 hour and 52 minute filibuster against the nominee, John Brennan, to head up the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Senator Paul wanted more information from the Obama Administration on the September 11, 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack. When Senator Rand got his answer from the President he ended his filibuster of Brennan’s nomination and Brennan was confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Today, most Senators threaten use of the filibuster to either stop a bill or nomination from being debated or voted on the floor of the U.S. Senate or to force a compromise by both sides of the aisle on a piece of legislation.

Functions of a Political Party

Political parties help our society and voters in general by participating in a variety of activities. They do the following:

attract people of different backgrounds, ideologies, ethnic groups, rich, or poor under “one umbrella” in support of positions on issues
, e.g. Support the Republican Party to cut taxes, reduce government regulations, promote free and fair trade, strengthen defense, and ban abortion. or Democratic Party to provide affordable and accessible healthcare, lower college debt, increase taxes on the wealthy, provide less military spending, support border security. Our founding fathers feared political parties, but they have with the exception of slavery, managed to help strengthen national unity even though it may appear otherwise by looking at the “red and blue” states on the election map.

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recruit candidates; provide candidates with training, money, and information on issues; write a party platform; register voters; educate the voters.
 All of these activities 
help make it easier for us as citizens to decide which candidates to support
. 
Not only do political parties recruit candidates for us to choose from, they make it easier for us to choose a candidate without doing too much additional research because we have read the party platforms and know what Republicans and Democrats stand for. This is why some people vote a “straight ticket” sometimes. They vote Republican or Democrat down the line-national, state, local levels.

criticize the political party in the White House-
‘Keep them honest’-make sure the President and his staff do not abuse their power; and 
they also provide alternative ideas for the public to support
, e.g. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and leader of the 
loyal opposition
, opposes for example, President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act that has a large amount of funding for Green Energy programs.  Currently, the Democrats “control” the White House but are the minority party in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Republicans are playing the role of the opposition party. Serendipitously, political parties have provided an additional check on the majority!

help make our government bridge the gap between our three separate branches of government
. In order to get our laws passed, members of the President’s party must introduce his legislative proposals or vote on bills that he supports, e.g. Democrats are working to “push” President Biden’s legislative agenda through Congress, e.g.  reduce inflation, create jobs, promote Green energy programs, funding for Ukraine’s fight against Russia, etc..

write solutions to public problems noted in their party platforms into legislation and candidates hope their bills will pass so their positions on issues become law. 
Candidates run on the party platform (although they are not entirely “wed” to them today because they do not depend on the political party for their nomination).

provide
 
government jobs to loyal supporters who have helped them during their campaign for public office. Functions of a Political Party

Responsibilities of a Political Party

Responsibilities of political parties at the national, state, and local level

The top authority of the political party is the National Presidential Convention.

Although each major party has a headquarters in Washington, DC, many local party offices can be found in the most common of places such as store fronts.

Local, Grassroots Political Party Headquarters

Democratic Party Headquarters

Douglas County, Roseburg, Oregon

Republican Party Headquarters

Alexander County, Taylorsburg, North Carolina

The National Presidential Convention formally:

ratifies (approves) the Presidential nominee

adopts party platform and party rules

showcases potential Presidential candidates

unifies factions of the party.

Even though the delegates do not actually choose presidential candidates, and we, the voters decide in presidential primaries and more democratic caucuses, the national presidential conventions do help to unify the party, particularly after a bloody primary season as in Republican candidate Bob Dole’s 1996 race. Some of you may remember that Steve Forbes spent some of his fortune running attack ads advocating the “flat tax” and Pat Buchanan tried to attract social conservatives through negative advertising.

Also, delegates have the opportunity to amend their party platforms during the three- or four-day convention.

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The National Committee – “it runs the everyday operations of a political party of the national level”.

The National Committee 
:

raises money for national, state, and local candidates through fund-raisers and membership dues

organizes the Presidential Convention

recruits and trains candidates

provides expertise on issues and campaign strategy

provides opposition research

Responsibilities of a Political Party

On February 1, 2025, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) elected a new Chair, Ken Martin from Minnesota.  He served as Vice Chair of the DNC for eight years.  He is a progressive who has headed the Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmers-Labor Party (DFL) for over a decade.  He has supported progressive candidates during the years and focused issues such as the environment, conservation, the arts in Minnesota.   Ken Martin has a wife and two children.  To learn more about Ken Martin, go to 

DNC Members Elect New Slate of DNC Officers 

 and 
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/01/politics/democrats-to-pick-new-chair/index.html
.

Under pressure of then former President Donald Trump and the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee, Ronna Romney McDaniel stepped down as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) on March 8, 2024 ( Peoples, Steve. “
RNC chair making way for Trump loyalists
,” DDNs, February 27, 2024).  Historically, the presidential  nominee will select his choice to run the national party organization but she had been under pressure to step down by Trump supporters.  Once of the criticisms of her work was that she was having difficulty raising money for GOP candidates.  Ms. McDaniel was the longest serving national committee chairperson since the Civil War.  President elect Trump had rewarded her for helping him to win Michigan in 2016 with this post and GOP grassroots supporters asked her to stay after he lost the 2020 presidential race.   In January 2024, she won a tough re-election race to retain her chairmanship.

On January 17, 2025, 
Michael Whatley was re-elected as Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC).  He was formerly North Carolina Republican Party chair and General Council of the RNC prior to becoming chairman of the RNC and K. C. Crosbie takes Lara Trump
, former President Trump’s daughter-in-law’s position as co-chairman of the national committee place when Lara Trump stepped down from her position as co-chairman.  Both have the responsibility of raising dollars for national, state, and local GOP candidates.  To learn more about Michael Whatley and K. C. Crosbie, go to 
Republican National Committee 2025 Winter Meeting General Session | C-SPAN.org.

 

Didn’t Congress prohibit the RNC

and DNC from raising soft money

for getting out the vote?

 

Party Organization from the Inside

Interested in a cool summer job? Want to actually make a difference in your community? Consider an internship at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) or Republican National Committee (RNC). Both organizations offer internship programs for college students who want hands-on experience working in community outreach and grassroots organizing. While many internship opportunities are based at the national headquarters in Washington, DC, openings may exist within state party organizations Responsibilities of a Political Party

Internship positions can be very competitive; most applicants are juniors or seniors with high grade-point averages and strong recommendations from their faculty. Successful applicants get an inside view of government, build a great professional network, and have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of their friends and families.

Visit the DNC or RNC website and find out what it takes to be an intern. While there, also check out the state party organization. Is there a local leader you feel you could work for? Are any upcoming events scheduled in your state?

OOCAPG Resource

The Problem of Soft Money

I often share with my students the following “snowman” picture to illustrate the problem of soft money used for T.V. ads that indirectly benefited presidential candidates in the past:

 

Textual Description Week 8 – Money to Parties

 

This image shows a snowman as an allegory for political party money.

The tophat of the snowman is black and contains grey dollar signs.

The top sphere is blue in color and titled “Hard Money Account.” The eyes are labeled as individuals and PAC. Underneath the eyes reads:

Limited and disclose to FEC

Individual contributions up to $25,000 prior to 2002

PAC contribution up to $15,000 prior to 2002

There is an arrow pointing from this section with the following text: $’s go to individual political candidates National, State, & Local.

The lower sphere is red in color and titled “Soft Money Account” and underneath is days:

Wealthy Individuals

Labor Unions

White House Coffees

“Party Building Activities” – Get out the vote

Unlimited and undisclosed contributions

Interest groups

Lincoln bedroom

Foreign Contributions

Corporations

There are two arrows emanating from this section. One to the text: TV ads that indirectly benefit presidential candidates and the other text: National parties can no longer raise “soft money” – McCain-Feingold Bill.

 

Since the RNC and DNC can no longer raise soft money, nonprofit organizations, 
“527s
” like Moveon.org and Swift Boat Veterans for Truth stepped in to fill the gap. During the 2004 presidential election, they raised these donations to register voters, get out the vote, and educate the public. 527’s were 
not
 
contributing these dollars to political candidates and as a result, were not prohibited from raising unlimited and undisclosed funds. They were not barred by McCain-Feingold from raising these dollars. We saw the rise of “SuperPACs” in recent presidential elections and are actively supporting our 2020   presidential candidates.  To learn more go to 
The 2020 presidential race might be remembered as when the dam broke on money in U.S. politics – Fortune.

As you know, it is very expensive to run for president, and Republican candidates have found that they need these outside groups to raise soft money for advertising on their behalf or to defeat other candidates. Even though President Obama had a goal of raising $1 billion for his 2012 re-election campaign, a group of supporters established a “SuperPAC” on his behalf as well. They have discovered that it is wealthy individuals that contribute to these “SuperPac’s” and not corporations and unions that many feared would happen as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision that declared the section of the McCain-Feingold that prohibited corporations and unions from putting on political (“electioneering”) type ads 30 days prior to a primary and 60 days before the general election. You may remember the Court also struck down part of the Taft-Hartley Act that banned corporations and unions from using independent expenditures–“vote for or against” ads on television. The Court held that it violated corporations and unions’ First Amendment “political speech.”

As Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), opponent of the McCain-Feingold bill, once said the decision would strengthen special-interest groups and weaken political parties. 
“Soft money is not gone, it has just changed its address
 
(“Opponents” 18A)
 
.” Responsibilities of a Political Party

State Committee
 
-“it raises money for 
state
 candidates”
 — e.g., Governor, state senator, state legislator, etc.

Cincinnati lawyer and former chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party Alex Triantafilou was sworn in as the new Ohio Republican Party chairman on January 6, 2023.  He served as a judge in Hamilton County until 2008 (the youngest judge in that county to serve in that position), 
About the Chairman – Ohio Republican Party
.  He replaced Bob Paduchik who helped candidate Trump elected to the presidency in 2016 and who also ran his re-election effort in 2020.  Mr. Paduchik stepped down after the 2022 election.

The Ohio Democratic Party Executive Committee selected Liz Walters as their new Chairperson when David Pepper stepped down from the chairmanship in late 2020 after serving in this capacity since 2015.  Ms. Walters is from Summit County and is the first woman to be elected to this position by this state committee.  To learn more about her background, go to the Columbus Dispatch article at 
 
Ohio Democrats picked a new leader. Here’s what you need to know – Columbus Dispatch
.  Also,
 review the Ohio Democratic Party website’s article about Chairwoman Walters at 
Elizabeth Walters and Andre Washington Chair and Vice Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party
.  She was re-elected to a four-year term in 2022, 
Ohio Democratic Party Chair Walters Announces New Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director – Ohio Democrats
.

Here are the websites for Ohio’s Republican and Democratic Parties:

Ohio Republican Party

Ohio Democratic Party

County
 
Committee
 
-“it recruits candidates to run for 
local
 office,” e.g 
.
 mayor, city council, sheriff, etc.

Phil Plummer is the Montgomery County Republican Party Chairman and former Montgomery County Sheriff who is currently serving his second term as a state representative for the 40th House District in the Ohio House of Representatives (Plummer Biography, Ohio House website ).

The Montgomery County Democratic Party Chairman is immigration attorney and former Dayton School Board President, Mohamed Al-Hamdani.  He was elected by the Montgomery County Democratic Party’s central committee in June 2022 and the first Muslim to chair a county Democratic Party in Ohio. Chairman Al-Hamdani replaces Mark Owens who retired from his position after serving for fifteen years (Balduf, Jen. “
 Former Dayton school board president new Montgomery County Democratic Party Chair,
” DDN, June 10, 2022 ).   Here are the websites for the Montgomery County Republican and Democratic Parties:

Montgomery County Republican Party

Montgomery County Democratic Party

Wards and Precincts
 
– grassroots level-“get out the vote.”

Precincts
 are made up of several city blocks or neighborhoods. 
Wards
 
are made up of a number of precincts in a city. Precinct and Ward leaders are responsible for getting their supporters in their neighborhoods to the polls to vote for party candidates. Grassroots party supporters put signs in yards; pass out campaign literature; monitor elections.

Although the wards and precincts are at the “bottom” rung of the ladder in our decentralized party system, this does not any way diminish their importance. Without party activists on the ground urging voters to register to vote and go to the polls, it makes it more difficult for the party’s candidates to win on Election Day.

Political Ideology Definition and Examples

It is very important that we determine our
political ideology
 early in our lives because it will impact what political party we support, if any, who we vote for, and ultimately what positions we take on issues like raising taxes and protecting the environment.

In short, political ideology is 
our ideas or beliefs about the proper role of government and the use of political power
 
(Magleby 92) 
.
 
Should we have fewer taxes and less government regulations or should we raise taxes and tax the wealthy in order to provide welfare and Medicaid benefits to the poor? How you answer these questions depends on how you view the role of government in our lives. Are you a libertarian, conservative, moderate, liberal, socialist or communist? These are all types of political ideologies.

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Please review my chart below of the 
Political Spectrum
 and check out the “Political Ideology Quiz” simulation to help you decide or confirm your own political ideology. While this table is not all inclusive, and some beliefs may differ individually, these are some common traits.

Political Spectrum

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

Communist

Socialist

Liberal

Moderate

Conservative

Libertarian

most gov. regulation & control

least freedom

no private property

gov. owns business

gov. owns private property

social welfare state

gov. regulates the economy

regulate business to protect individuals (human rights)

redistribute income from wealthy to the poor — progressive income tax

gov. can promote justice & equal opportunity

gov. can help solve our problems

little bit conservative little bit liberal

fiscal conservative/

socially liberal

fiscally liberal/

socially conservative

fiscal or traditional conservative

social conservative–regulates social behavior

protect property rights

fewer taxes

less gov. regulation of business

charitable giving

personal responsibility

gov. generally should not solve our problems

most freedom

not anarchists

no economic or social controls

Political Ideology Definition and Examples

 

Political Ideology Quiz

Complete the 
Political Ideology Quiz from ProProfs
 to see where our beliefs lie.

Please Note: 
this quiz has some answer choices that are very defined with out any “grey area.” As such, the answer you choose may indicate that you are more liberal or conservative (or otherwise) than you really are. That said, don’t take your results too seriously but perhaps use them as a starting point to think about your political beliefs.

Examples
 of leaders’ political ideologies:

Raul Castro (former President of Cuba) — Communist

Xi Jingping (President of the People’s Republic of China and General Secretary of the Communist Party)–Communist

Bernie Sanders (I. Senator Vermont) — Socialist

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D. Rep. NY and 2020 Democratic Presidential candidate)–Socialist

Barak Obama (President of the United States) – – Liberal

Hillary Rodham Clinton (former Secretary of Stat and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee) — Liberal

Joe Biden (former VP and Senator and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate)–Liberal

Elizabeth Warren (D. Senator Mass. and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate)–“progressive”–Liberal?

Tulsi Gabbard (D. Rep. Hawaii and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate)–moderate

Tim Ryan (D. Rep. Ohio and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate)–moderate

Donald Trump (President)–moderate?

Political Ideology Definition and Examples

Bill Weld (former R. Gov. of Mass and 2016 VP candidate for Libertarian Party)–moderate

Rand Paul (R. Senator KY and 2016 Republican Presidential candidate–Libertarian

Gary Johnson (former R. Governor of New Mexico and 2016 Libertarian Party nominee for President)–Libertarian

Mitch McConnell (R. Senate majority leader KY)–Conservative

Ronald Reagan (former R. President) — Conservative

Ben Carson (R. 2016 presidential candidate and current Secretary of Housing)–Social Conservative

Can you
be conservative and be a Democrat
? Political Ideology Definition and Examples

Class Discussion – The Monocle Restaurant

The Monocle Restaurant – Capitol Hill, 107 D St., NE; Washington, D. C.

The Valonos family has played host to senators and staff at the 
Monocle
, the restaurant closest to the Senate side of the Capitol, for 40 years. No matter which party controls Congress, the Monocle’s upstairs rooms are a favorite place for congressional fundraisers, and the restaurant has become the venue for caucuses by the Senate’s women members. Staffers still call the Monocle to warn the restaurant that an important vote is coming up. The restaurant’s enduring popularity is a tribute to the hospitality of a remarkable family. – – Thomas Head, 
August 2001

The Monocle
 will be open throughout the quarter for “lunch” with your classmates and spirited political discussions.

To participate in the Discussion Activities, you will go to the Discussion Forum (known as the “
The Monocle
 “) and post your response. There are ten (10) Discussion Activities that you will participate in throughout the term. Each Discussion Activity is worth twenty (20) points each, for a total of two hundred (200) points. Failure to participate in these required activities will result in zero (0) points for each activity that the student fails to participate in. There is no extra credit to make up the Discussion Activity that you missed.

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You must complete the Class Discussion – The Monocle Restaurant  Activity
by 11:30 p.m. on Sunday in the week that it is assigned
. (
Check the When Assignments are Due page for completion dates
.) The Discussion Forum will be locked at 
midnight on Sunday
 of that week that there is a Discussion Activity assigned.

Do not wait until late in the week to complete these activities. Make sure that you have completed your research on each activity prior to going to the Discussion Forum. During the week of the Discussion Activity, I will review the class discussion and join the discussion where I see a need for it. You will be graded upon the thoroughness of your posted response that is to be supported by the required research needed to complete the activity satisfactorily. So please make sure to read the instructions for each activity closely before beginning your research and posting your response(s)!

Grading of Discussion Activities

Discussion Activities will be graded on the quality of your posted response for each Discussion Activity. The following is the scale upon which the grade for both will be awarded 
:

18-20 points = A – Excellent

16-17 points = B – Good

14-15 points = C – Satisfactory

12-13 points = D – Passing

below 12 points = F – Failure

Class Discussion – The Monocle Restaurant

Discussion Activity 1:
 FOUNDING FATHER/MOTHER 

Discussion Activity 2:
 
FEDERALISM

Discussion Activity 3: 
INTEREST GROUPS

Discussion Activity 4: 
POLITICAL PARTIES

Discussion Activity 5:
 
ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Discussion Activity 6
: ROLE-PLAY AS HOUSE OR SENATE PARTY OFFICER

Class Discussion – The Monocle Restaurant: FEDERAL LEGISLATION

Discussion Activity
 
8:
 
EVALUATION OF CURRENT PRESIDENT IN ROLES PLAYED BY A MODERN PRESIDENT

Discussion Activity 9
:
 
ROLE-PLAY AS U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

Discussion Activity
 10
:
 
“BILL OF RIGHTS 
“

Can you be conservative and be a Democrat?

Yes, of course you can! Both political parties have conservatives, moderates, and liberals. Democrats just have more liberals and Republicans have more conservatives (either traditional or social). Remember each party must reach out to as many people as possible to get the votes to win so people with different political ideologies belong to these organizations.

A conservative Democrat may support a strong defense, less taxes and spending, and yet support great protections for labor or he may be a social conservative and oppose abortion. Have you heard of the phrase “Blue Dog” Democrats? They are generally southern Democrats.

Can you be conservative and be a Democrat?