Module 5 - Congress

This week, we are taking a closer look at political parties as they relate to Congress. From the reading we've learned many things about this interaction. Most of the reading focuses on the shift in culture in 1994. This shift refers to the massive change in the party culture in D.C. when the GOP took over. During this time, we also saw the parties become more homogeneous, so it was easier to get things done in Congress - definitely not like it is today. Newt Gingrich, the Speaker of the House at that time, is often credited with this shirt to Republican control in Congress. Many people saw Gingrich was so effective as Speaker because he had a special relationship with with Congress members whereas they believed he shared their claims, thus were more likely to agree with him. Another factor that made him quite popular was his "Contract with America" - which played a huge role in government reform in America. Gingrich also treated his fellow members well, listened to their ideas, and genuinely cared what ideas they had, as well as made himself available to them, which also made him quite successful as Speaker. This Republic reign - which lasted quite some time, 1994 - 2006 - definitely shaped they way Congress ran. Then in 2006, things changed. The Democrats suddenly took over Congress as the ruling majority party. We all know why this happened. No one liked Bush's stance on the war and were fed up with him and wanted something different. This is when we often see major changes in Congress - when presidential approval is low. When presidential approval is high, and the president's party is the majority in Congress, we don't see the "switch." I think we can definitely see some stark differences between the Republican reign starting in 1994 and the Democrat reign starting in 2006. In 1994, it appears that, Republicans and Democrats worked together for the most part and got things done more so than they do now. There was definitely some cooperation among the parties back then. Now, we see bitter bickering and no one will back down. Gone are the days when Congress does the right thing for Americans, but now we see them doing what's right for themselves. As we've discussed alot in this class lately, we see this shift to more candidate-centered campaigns, which makes a lot of the decisions that are going in Congress more self-involved rather than group-involved. Generally, the minority party can't get a lot done. I suppose in the "old days" it was alot easier for minority and majority parties to work together, but today, that's almost totally gone. A great example is the stimulus bill then Democrats just passed. The Republicans and Democrats were at war with each other to create a bill that would work - but the Democrats were too stubborn, and a bit suspicious-looking, when they tried to ram this thing through so quickly. We all knew it would pass in the end because Democrats have the majority. So why do the Republicans even try to get things done their way if they know there is a slim chance of that happening? I think the answer is because they want their voices heard, especially when it comes to re-election time. Just because there is a democratic president and a democratic Congress doesn't mean the entire country agrees with their ideas. In fact, alot of the country doesn't agree with them - and that's where the Republicans come in. Even though they have that slim chance of getting things done, they still have the ability to influence Congress and make a stink - and sometimes that's all you need. The 214 Republicans bother to show up because they do have a voice too, be it a small voice right now, but the little stinks they can through might make a difference in legislation passing. Some one has to speak out for the little guy, and right now that's the Republican party. Who knows what kind of mess Obama will be creating during his presidency, so the Republicans are gearing up to clean up that mess when the time comes. Let's see what happens in 2010, shall we?