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CONGRESS
Why Bicameralism?
Compromise
Checks & Balances
Congressional Reapportionment &
Redistricting
Reapportionment – The
reallocation of the number of
representatives each state has in
the HR
Why is it important?
1. increases or decreases the
number of seats
2. more Rep’s more influence
3. electoral votes
Redistricting – the drawing/redrawing
of congressional district lines
Gerrymandering
Why?
To enhance political party strength
Protect incumbents
Who is in Congress?
Personal & Political
Backgrounds
WASP
Mid 50’s (middle-aged)
Married w/ children
Table 11.1: Blacks, Hispanics, and Women in Congress,
1971-2002
Many were lawyers
Held previous positions in
government
Many make careers out of
office
Do members represent their
voters?
Demographically: No
Republican members more
conservative than avg. Americans
Democrat members more liberal than
avg. Americans
Yes: If they want to get elected
Congressional Elections
Incumbents usually win
Why?
Advertising – name recognition
Credit Claiming - Pork Barrel &
casework
Safe districts - Gerrymandering
Table 11.2: Incumbents in Congress Reelected by 60
Percent or More
Figure 11.2: Percentage of Incumbents Reelected to
Congress
Source:
Harold W. Stanley and Richard G. Niemi, Vital Statistics on American Politics, 1999-2000 (Washington,
D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2000), table 1-18.
Job Benefits
Power
Pay $162,000 YR &
Retirement
Office space
Congressional Staff
Travel allowances & Franking
Privileges
Powers of Congress
Legislative
examples include: to
collect taxes, borrow
money, to declare war,
and to “make all laws
necessary and proper”
Non-legislative powers
oversight of the executive
branch
appointments
impeachment
Essay Practice # 1
A. Discuss two reasons why the
framers created a bicameral legislature
B. Identify one power unique to the
House of Representatives and explain
why the framers gave the House that
power
C. Identify one power unique to the
Senate and explain why the framers
gave the Senate that power.
Leadership in Congress
House of Representatives
Speaker of the House- Boehner
1. Presides over the House
2. Appoints select & conference
committees
3. Appoints the rules committee
4. Assigns bills to committees
5. Second in line for the
presidency
Speaker of the House– John Boehner
(R)
Majority & Minority Leader
1. Partisan position picked by
individual parties
2. Floor leader & legislative
strategist
Majority – Cantor
Minority - Pelosi
Majority Leader – Eric Cantor
Minority Leader
Party Whips
1. Assistant floor leader
2. Inform party leaders on the
“mood” of the House
3. Keep nose count on important
votes
Senate
Vice President - Biden
1. President of the Senate
2. Presides over the Senate
3. Votes in case of tie
Joseph Biden
President pro Tempore
1. Ceremonial job
2. Presides when
the VP is absent
3. Third in line for
the presidency
after the Speaker –
Dan Inouye
Majority Leader
1. True leader in the Senate
2. Recognized first for all debates
3. True leader of the Majority
party
Majority – Reid
Minority - McConnell
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Minority Leader – Mitch
McConnell
Types of Committees
Standing Committee
Formed to handle bills in
different policy areas
2-3 committees and 4-7
subcommittees per member
Joint Committees
Made up of members of
both houses to meet about
a specific issue and report
back their findings – Example
- Library of Congress
Select Committees
Temporary - set up to study
specific issues
Conference Committees
Temporary
Members from both houses
hammer out differences in a
bill
Caucuses
Associations of members of Congress
created to advocate on behalf of an
ideology, constituency, or regional and
economic interest
Types- Intraparty, Personal interest,
Constituency concerns
Table 11.5: Congressional Caucuses
How Things
Work: How
a Bill
Becomes
Law
Congress
The United States Congress
House of Representatives
Total Members
Determined By
Qualifications
Length of Term
Special Powers
Senate
Congress
The United States Congress
House
Senate
Total Members
435 Members
100 Members
Congress
The United States Congress
House of Representatives
Total Members
Determined By
Qualifications
Length of Term
Special Powers
435 Members
Senate
100 Members
Congress
The United States Congress
House of Representatives
Senate
The state’s population:
Two from each state, no
Determined By the more people living in matter what the size of the
the state, the more
state’s population
Representative the state
will have.
Congress
The United States Congress
House of Representatives
Total Members
435 Members
Senate
100 Members
The state’s population: the more Two from each state, no matter
Determined By people living in the state, the
what the size of the state’s
more Representative the state will population
have.
Qualifications
Length of Term
Special Powers
Congress
The United States Congress
House of Representatives
Senate
▪ Must be 25 years old
▪ Must be 30 years old
Qualifications ▪ Must be U.S. citizen for 7 ▪ Must be U.S. citizen for 9
years
years
▪ Must be resident of state ▪ Must be resident of state
Congress
The United States Congress
House of Representatives
Total Members
435 Members
Senate
100 Members
The state’s population: the more Two from each state, no matter
Determined By people living in the state, the
what the size of the state’s
more Representative the state will population
have.
Qualifications
Length of Term
Special Powers
▪ Must be 25 years old
▪ Must be 30 years old
▪ Must be U.S. citizen for 7 years ▪ Must be U.S. citizen for 9 years
▪ Must be resident of state
▪ Must be resident of state
Congress
The United States Congress
House of Representatives
Length of Term
2 years
Senate
6 years
Congress
The United States Congress
House of Representatives
Total Members
435 Members
Senate
100 Members
The state’s population: the more Two from each state, no matter
Determined By people living in the state, the
what the size of the state’s
more Representative the state will population
have.
Qualifications
Length of Term
Special Powers
▪ Must be 25 years old
▪ Must be 30 years old
▪ Must be U.S. citizen for 7 years ▪ Must be U.S. citizen for 9 years
▪ Must be resident of state
▪ Must be resident of state
2 years
6 years
Congress
The United States Congress
House of Representatives
Senate
▪ Impeaches federal officials ▪ Conducts impeachment
Special Powers ▪ Introduces money bills
trials
▪ Selects a President if the ▪ Approves Presidential
Electoral College fails to
appointments
do so
▪ Ratifies (approves)
treaties
Congress
The United States Congress
House of Representatives
Total Members
435 Members
Senate
100 Members
The state’s population: the more Two from each state, no matter
Determined By people living in the state, the
what the size of the state’s
more Representative the state will population
have.
Qualifications
Length of Term
▪ Must be 25 years old
▪ Must be 30 years old
▪ Must be U.S. citizen for 7 years ▪ Must be U.S. citizen for 9 years
▪ Must be resident of state
▪ Must be resident of state
2 years
▪ Impeaches federal officials
Special Powers ▪ Introduces money bills
▪ Selects a President if the
Electoral College fails to do so
6 years
▪ Conducts impeachment trials
▪ Approves Presidential
appointments
▪ Ratifies (approves) treaties
Journal topic
Members of Congress tend to have a
particular demographic profile. Is this
a matter of concern? Does the
preponderance of a particular
demographic and professional group
compromise the quality of
representation provided by the U.S.
Congress?
HOW MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS VOTE
REPRESENTATIONAL VIEW(Delegates) - MEMBERS VOTE
TO PLEASE THEIR
CONSTITUENTS
ORGANIZATIONAL VIEW
(Partisan) - MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS VOTE TO PLEASE
COLLEAGUES
Logrolling
ATTITUDINAL VIEW
(Trustees)- IDEOLOGY
AFFECTS A LEGISLATURES
VOTE
The U.S. Congress: The U.S. Congress
House of Representatives
Speaker of the House
Majority Floor
Majority Whip
Minority Floor
Minority Whip
Senate
President of the Senate
Majority Floor
Majority Whip
President pro Temp.
Minority Floor
Minority Whip
Bills & Resolutions
Bills
10,000 proposed laws a
session
About 6% become law
Two Types
1. Public – entire nation
2. Private – certain people or
places
Resolutions
Three types – Joint resolution,
concurrent resolution and
Resolution
Joint Resolution
Has the force of law
May be used to appropriate
money & propose constitutional
amendments
Concurrent Resolution
State position
Example – Foreign matters
Resolutions
Used for such things as the
adoption of a new rule or
procedure
Riders to Bills
Riders are provisions not likely to
pass on its own merit
Attached to an important measure
certain to pass
“Christmas Tree” bill – many riders
attached
Court Cases
Buckley v. Valeo 1976
Political spending is protected by
the 1st Amendment. However,
there is sufficient public interest in
establishing a level playing field to
justify limits
Wesberry v. Sanders 1964
Court ruled that each district must
represent approximately the same
number of people as all others
Shaw v. Reno 1993
Ruled against racial
gerrymandering
Pork barrel legislation- the practice of
legislators obtaining funds through
legislation that favors their home
districts – ex. Highway Bill - Don
Young (R-AK) $1 billion to his home
state - $231 million to build a bridge to
a sparsely inhabited marshland Named “Don Young’s Way”