3.2 "Congress & Trump"

"The GOP's Quickly Learning that Governing is Difficult--As is Working with Donald Trump" 

1. How did the public deal with the attempt (from last week's blog) to shut down the Office of Congressional Ethics?

Public backlash included angry phone calls, tweets, and a reproachful tweet from Donald Trump. 

2. How did sharing control of the government with Democrats actually end up helping Republicans in Congress?

It protected the GOP from public scrutiny, but now that Republicans run the majority of Washington, people are more vigilant than ever. 

3. What does the professor from University of Miami mean when saying that the Republicans were more of a "protest party"?

For Obama's two terms, Republicans have been functioning as a reactionary force against Obama and the Democratic Party. Their proposals and actions have been more to thwart Obama than to actually benefit people's lives.

4. Why is Trump a potential problem for Republicans in Congress?

Trump has proven to be fickle and is not purely loyal to the party and its traditional policy priorities. 

5. In what situations will Trump be willing to oppose Republicans in Congress?

He is willing to betray the GOP for popular support, which GOP Congress won't dare to defy. For example, he has shown to be much more cautious about entirely repealing ObamaCare than Republicans, understanding the grave consequences of doing so.  

6. How are some Republicans, like the Freedom Caucus, adjusting their stances preparing for a Trump presidency?

They are changing their attitudes and posing as fervent Trump supporters to appeal to popular sentiment. 

7.  How will the public view Republicans differently now that they are in charge of lawmaking?

They are held at high expectations and responsibility, and their true beliefs will be put to test in the face of the new president. 

3.1 "The First Day of Congress"

New York Times: "With No Warning, House Republican Vote to Gut Independent Ethics Office" 

1. What types of policies is the new Congress going to pursue? Why is the Ethics office an obstacle to these?

The new Congress will likely repeal the ACA, reform health care and infrastructure. Thus, the Ethics office would frustrate the control of Republican-dominated Congress lawmakers and wealthy businesspeople in government.

2. What changes did the incoming Congress make to the Office of Congressional Ethics?

In place of the office, Republicans would create a new Office of Congressional Complaint Review that will report to House Ethics Committee. 

3. How does Republican leadership feel about these changes?

Speaker of the House and Republican Representative Goodlatte defend the decision, asserting that it would strengthen ethics oversight but also give the House protections against efforts of the Office of Congressional Ethics deemed as overzealous. 

4. Why do current Congressmen dislike the Office of Congressional Ethics?

The criticism is bipartisan, complaining that the Office is too aggressive in its investigations more than those by the House Ethics Committee. 

5. What was the role of the Office of Congressional Ethics?

The office staff conduct confidential interviews and collect documents based on complaints from the public or media, release any findings of possible violation of federal rules or laws, and votes on whether to refer the matter to the full House Ethics Committee.

6. Why do Congressmen want to be able to control the spokesperson for this office?

Even if the House Ethics Committee dismisses the Office's release of potential ethics violation, the Office spokesperson is required to release a report detailing the alleged wrongdoing, which deters the behavior at question. 

7. What are the likely outcomes of these changes?

The House Ethics Committee tends to be too lenient/overprotective of members of the majority party. So, it could shut down any independent investigation. 

RIP Gerrymandering...Hopefully

Vox: "A Wisconsin Court Case May Be the Last Best Hope to Fixing Gerrymandering by 2020"

1. The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) might try to avoid this case, why do they have to hear it? 

There are certain special procedural rules for voting rights cases, so the Court must hear the Wisconsin Case. 

2. How can Trump impact the outcome of this case - in the event that it wasn't decided this year?

He will likely replace left-minded judges, which deprives Justice Kennedy of his swing vote and dashing any chance for changing the policy on gerrymandering.

3. How big do Democrats have to win national elections in order to actually win control of the House?

They would have to win popular vote by 9 percentage points

4. Why has SCOTUS been unwilling to weigh in on partisan gerrymandering before?

It looks bad to the generally uninformed public that the nine unelected judges on the Supreme Court have overruled something that an elected legislature dictates. 

5. Why does SCOTUS look bad for intervening in Bush V Gore?

Elections are supposed to be "democratic" and a power of the people (not really), so many people have blamed the choice of Bush on the Republican-dominated Court. 

6. How does the lack of political parties during the writing of the Constitution allow for political parties to take advantage of the current laws in place?

There is a challenge of preventing institutions from having partisan sentiments and deciding what is "fair" since a court ruling would mean choosing one party's ideology over the other. This allows the majority party in the government to have a large extent of influence on the nation. 

7. Why have judges in the past found it so difficult to come up with a solution for partisan gerrymandering?  (They don't like gerrymandering, but don't have a solution - why?)

They don't want to easily make a decision on gerrymandering since it is so difficult to come up with an easily applicable, easily justifiable standard to drawing district lines. Additionally, a different solution would be like replacing gerrymandering with another politically debatable system. 

8. What do the new litigants mean when they use the term "wasted votes"?

They mean that the votes of those not aligning with the majority party are rendered useless due to gerrymandering: cracking and packing. Regardless of those people's interests, gerrymandering will almost always guarantee a majority victory for the majority party. 

9. Why is Wisconsin a particularly good place to try their ideas?

Wisconsin has ridiculously drawn districts that are compact and feel the full effects of gerrymandering. 

10. If gerrymandering is struck down by SCOTUS, who feels the effects immediately? When would most people feel the effects of the decision?

Only Wisconsin would since the case is about it. However, the effects will be expanded after 2020. 

2.6 Paul Ryan Finally Gets His Way

"The War on the Poor: Donald Trump's win opens the door to Paul Ryan's vision for America"

1. What are the reasons given that suggest that Trump will likely follow Ryan's legislative agenda instead of Ryan following Trump's?

Trump is pretty unpopular with both parties in Congress, so he isn't able to tell Republicans in Congress what he wants them to do. He has to listen to them to keep them on his side.

2. What is the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities?

It is a research institute that conducts analyses on government policies and programs over budget and taxes to help ensure that policymakers consider the needs of low-income families. 

3. What Lyndon Johnson programs are likely to be cut significantly?

Food stamps (1964) and Medicaid (1965). 

4. What happened to welfare in the 1990s that will likely happen to these programs?

In 1996, Bill Clinton signed a bill, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, that blocked granting welfare.

5. If states have freedom to make decisions in spending for these programs, what are they most likely to do?

They will probably never implement a program anywhere near as generous or comprehensive as the ones they have now under federal law. 

6. Why does Paul Ryan's plan advocate for allowing insurance companies to sell across state lines?

Ryan plans for selling across state lines to prevent states from enacting stricter regulations.

7. What would be the effect of funding Medicaid through block grants?

This would cut the program's budget by about a third, using the saved money to give to states for their other specific projects. The number of uninsured would rise to 40 million, taking away coverage from people who are in need of it such as the disabled. 

8. What are the two areas the article claims are the things Paul Ryan does not want to cut?

His 2014 poverty plan and 2016 Better Way plan for poverty will not see their budgets cut; instead they will be reformed with opportunity grants, allowing states to receive lump of money and test ways of repackaging welfare benefits.

9. Ryan wants to cut spending for all sorts of programs, but where does he want to increase federal spending?

Defense and retirement spending 

10. According to the article, what was the impact of poverty-fighting programs implemented in the 1960s?

Poverty fell by 40%

11. Who would benefit most from Paul Ryan's tax plan?

Only the top 1%

12. What does he want to do to Social Security & Medicare (programs in which ALL people use)?

He wants to privatize Social Security and Medicare.

2.5 Ugh Congress--I want to grow up to be a one-term Congresswoman

Washington Post: "Five ways Congress has changed dramatically since Obama's first State of the Union"

1. What was the makeup of the Congress that began in 2009 with Obama's first term?

The Speaker of the House was a Democrat, Nancy Pelosi, and in both chambers of Congress, Democrats held a majority by 16 seats in the Senate and a whopping 79 seats in the House. 

2. What is the current makeup of the Congress (Before the new one takes office in January)?
Republicans are the majority in both chambers, the largest in the House since the Great Depression.

3. Why is a 60 vote majority so critical in the Senate?
The party that gets 60 seats in the Senate is able to by-pass filibuster.

4. When did the Republicans take control of each house of Congress?
2010 for the House of Representatives and 2014 for Senate.

5. Why was Republican John Boehner forced out of his role as Speaker of the House?
In the fight against Obama to pass legislation for spending cuts and increased taxes, Boehner compromised, which conservatives never forgave.

6. What has been the main issue that Obama & the Congress have been fighting over?
They were fighting over spending cuts, with Republicans wanting billions of spending cuts and Obama refusing.

7. How are the Tea Party Caucus and the Freedom Caucus different from other Republicans?
They are the ultra-conservatives from the Republican group.

8. What is happening to moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans?  Which types of elections are they losing to lose their seats?
They are in the decline, falling prey to redistricting.

9. Why does the article predict that there will be little conflict between the president and Congress over his last year in office?
Nearing the end of a president's term, usually no major legislation is worth being considered and fought over. 

2.4 I'm Still Not Sure What to Feel After This Election

Vox: "Why the Electoral College is the absolute worst, explained"

1. How does a candidate win in the Electoral College system?

When a candidate wins majority of popular votes in a state, all of the state's electoral votes technically goes to that candidate. Electoral votes are those cast by state-chosen representatives who make up the electoral college and will vote December 19.

2. When people cast their vote for president, what are they actually voting for?

The people are actually voting for a group of people, the electors, who will almost always vote according to the popular vote of the state they represent. 

3. When will the actual Electoral College vote count take place?

December 19

4. What 3 problems with the Electoral College does the article identify?

It undermines the importance of voting in most states that will inevitably be Democratic/Republican, thus deterring people from voting for the opposing party, and only swing states are focused on. 

The size of the margin of victory does not matter because it is not proportional to the number of electoral votes a candidate receives, thus resulting in the possibility of the disparity between popular vote and electoral vote.

It gives greater influence to small states since every state is guaranteed at least three electors, which overrepresents states like Wyoming or Montana while underrepresenting huge states like California. 

5. What are the penalties for an elector that does not vote as their state voted?

A fine and possibility losing reappointment in the electoral college. 

6. Why haven't there been many faithless electors before?

Parties painstakingly vet through their options and choose those who they are sure will loyally back the party's nominee. 

7. Why did the Framers choose to use the Electoral College?

They did not want the common people to directly choose the president because the commoners were uneducated, non-landowning and wouldn't have as good judgment as the elites would.

8. How did political parties change this process?

Parties made sure to pick electors who would vote loyally. 

9. What does the article say are the 3 reasons the Electoral College is a good system?

Usually, the victorious candidate is indeed the popular vote winner and swing states tend to agree with popular vote as well.

It ensures regional balance by requiring any regional candidate to get some support outside his or her region to be elected, thus limiting urban power grab. 

It is less likely for a nationwide recount. 

10. How do the American people feel about the Electoral College?

Polls show that majority (63%) of Americans want to eliminate it. 

11. Explain how the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact would work

It would be an agreement for states and DC to award all their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote, thus ensuring that electoral victory aligns with popular victory. 

12. Which states would be opposed to this plan?

All Republican and swing states have not adopted it and Republican/small/rural states would oppose it. 

2.3 Do Interest Groups Make You SYAD?

Washington Post: Coca-Cola "Big Soda Sponsored 96 Health Groups--A Big Conflict of Interest, study says"

1. Which health based interest groups are identified as receiving funding from Coke?

Shame on American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation for getting sponsored by Coca-Cola Co. 

2. What did these health-based groups do in return for Coca Cola?

These research groups publicize studies that downplay the major role of sugar in many health issues in order to make anything but sugar the enemy and boost Coke sales. 

3. What does the article claim the sugar industry did 50 years ago to the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine study?

The sugar industry had correspondence with JAMA, funding research by Harvard scientists to release study results that blamed cholesterol and saturated fat for heart disease rather than sugar. 

4. What kinds of policies is Coca Cola trying to lobby against now?

It is lobbying against soda taxes and soda bans. 

Los Angeles Times: Uber "Uber and Lyft are Winning at the State Capitol--here's why" 

5. What legislation was being considered in California that would have impacted ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft?

The California Public Utilities Commission was planning to introduce new regulations that would have limited the ability to rent cars to drive them for Uber. 

6. How much money did those companies spend lobbying California lawmakers?

Combined, Uber and Lyft have spent nearly $900,000 on lobbying. 

7. Which political parties are giving support to Uber and Lyft?

The Democratic party is vocal in supporting the industry and the Republican party also supports the companies as well for economic reasons. 

8. Who seems to be the loser when policies regulating Uber and Lyft are not adopted? 

Union advocates greatly resent the lack of regulation for these ride-sharing companies because they believe that the lawmakers are ignoring concern for worker and consumer protections.