2.3 Congressional Behavior

Earmarksis like calling “dibs” on a slice when
a $9.99 pizza gets ordered. Everyone else
has to make due with the 7 slices that are left.

A $280b transportation bill is very tempting
pizza. Legislators will “dibs” slices of the pie -
Like Senator Ted Stevens did when he
earmarked $315m for the Gravina Island
“Bridge to Nowhere.”

$280b
Transportation
Bill

$315m
Earmark

Porkis when a when you add extras
onto your $9.99 pizza order that
bloat the cost of the order.

A $280b transportation bill bloats to
$309b after legislators add their
“fatty” pet projects (cheesy bread &
lava cakes) to the bill.

Both help legislators get

re-elected.

Explain how congressional behavior
is influenced by election processes,

partisanship, and divided
government. CON-3.C

CON

LOR

PRD

PMI

MPI

2012 Ohio Election Results

House of Representatives

52%
12

of the vote

Congressional Seats

How is this possible?

Republican
candidates received

48%
4

of the vote

Congressional Seats

Democratic
candidates received

Gerrymanderingcan

occur during the

redistricting process.

It specifically means to

manipulate the geographic

boundaries of a district to

help or harm a specific

party or group.

Gerrymandering in Action

Cracking, Packing, Kidnapping

Illinois Earmuff District

GIS(Graphic

Information System)

software allows

politicians to create

safe seats by

carving out a district

with the perfect

demographic or to

carve up the

opposition into

separate districts.

GIS first used

extensively in 2001.

Before

Gerrymandering in Texas

Tom DeLay

Austin tends
to be one of
the ‘bluest’
places in TX

Republicans gained
control of the STATE
legislature for the first

time in 130 years

Conduct a “mid-term”

redistricting.

Gerrymander the
districts to help the

Republicans.

17-15

After

11-21

Polarization

Congresspersons can

take more extreme

stances when they don’t

have to worry about

re-election because they

are from a safe seat.

​https://what-the-district.aclu.org/?ids=1004-1012-1039-1113-1119-1136-1148-1163-1170-956-979

Let’s Play LAWCRAFT

When our country
truly needs a hero...