Ch.%209:%20Congress

1
Ch. 9 Congress

• A Disconnect between Political Elites
• and the Mass Public

2
The disconnect

• Political polarization in elites
• Congress
• Issue publics
• Political moderation in the mass public

3
Sources of elite polarization

• Ideological divisions
• Conservative v. liberal bases
• But both parties include libertarian populist
  wings
• Changes in election rules
• Liberal reform power to the people
• Conservative reform freedom of political
  speech
• Wealth gap between Congress public

4
Public v. Congressional Wealth
Sources Center for Responsive Politics US
Census Edward Wolff, Bard College.
http//www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/oss/oss2/2007/s
cf2007home.html http//www.opensecrets.org/pfds/ov
erview.php?typeWyear2009filterC http//www.op
ensecrets.org/news/2010/11/congressional-members-p
ersonal-weal.html
5
10 richest members of Congress
(all 10 voted to extend Bushs tax cuts for the
rich)
member max. est. net worth
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) 451.1 million
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) 435.4 million
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) 366.2 million
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) 294.9 million
Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) 285.1 million
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) 283.1 million
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) 231.2 million
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) 201.5 million
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) 136.2 million
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) 108.1 million
combined net worth 2.8 billion
http//www.opensecrets.org/pfds/index.php http//p
olitics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/senate/2/27
6?refpolitics http//politics.nytimes.com/congres
s/votes/111/house/2/647
6
Income inequality in the U.S.(2008)
http//www.levyinstitute.org/pubs/wp_589.pdf
7
Change in income distribution(1979-2007)
http//www.cbo.gov/publications/collections/tax/20
10/all_tables.pdf
8
Actual v. perceiveddistribution of wealth in
the U.S.
http//www.people.hbs.edu/mnorton/norton20ariely
20in20press.pdf
9
How rich are the super rich?(2007 data)

• Note The 2007 data (the most current) doesn't
  reflect the impact of the housing market crash.
• In 2007, the bottom 60 of Americans had 65 of
  their net worth tied up in their homes. The top
  1, in contrast, had just 10.
• The housing crisis has no doubt further swelled
  the share of total net worth held by the
  superrich.

http//www.levyinstitute.org/pubs/wp_589.pdf
10
Change in tax rates at the top(1913 2010)
http//www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151
.html
11
Change in share of tax burden(1950 2007)
http//www.jct.gov/publications.html?funcstartdow
nid3719
12
Key economic changes(2007 2009)
http//osc.state.ny.us/osdc/rpt10-2011.pdf http//
www.bls.gov/cps/prev_yrs.htm http//www.federalres
erve.gov/RELEASES/z1/Current/annuals/a1995-2004.pd
f http//www.federalreserve.gov/RELEASES/z1/Curren
t/annuals/a2005-2009.pdf
13
CEO v. worker pay(2009)
http//www.stateofworkingamerica.org/charts/view/1
7
14
Upward redistribution of income (1979 2005)