Topic 4: Congress Section 1

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1 Topic 4: Congress Section 1

2 Introduction Why does the Constitution establish a bicameral legislature? Historically, it is modeled on the two houses of the British Parliament and colonial legislatures. Practically, two houses were adopted as part of the Great Compromise, which solved the dispute between large and small states at the Constitutional Convention over how they would be represented in the national legislature. Theoretically, having two house of Congress means that one house can check the powers of the other. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 2

3 Ways of Representing There are four broad ways in which lawmakers choose to represent the people when they vote. Delegates Believe they should vote however their constituents want them to, even if it means going against the delegate s personal views or those of his or her party. Trustees Guided by their personal views on each specific issue, even if it may mean voting differently than their constituents might want Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 3

4 Ways of Representing, cont. Partisans Place their loyalty to their political party first when deciding how to vote. They support the party platform and party leaders. Politicos Try to balance the other three approaches personal views, party loyalty, and the wishes of constituents when deciding how to vote. Any of these approaches can place a congressperson in a difficult situation. It is hard to make everyone happy. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 4

5 Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 5

6 Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 6

7 Roles of a Congressman A Congressman has 5 major roles Legislator Representative of constituents Committee Member Servants of his constituents Politician Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 7

8 Congressional Terms Beginning in 1789, Congress has met for two-year terms. Originally congressional terms began and ended in March. This start date was changed to January 3 rd of every odd-numbered year by the 20 th Amendment. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 8

9 Congressional Sessions Checkpoint: How many sessions make up each congressional term? Congress meets and conducts business twice in each term, holding one session each year. The second session of a term often begins somewhat later than January 3 rd. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 9

10 Adjourning Congress During a session, Congress can choose to adjourn, or suspend its operations, until the next session. Though Congress meets for most of the year, each house typically has a few recesses, or breaks, in a session. Neither house can officially end a session without the approval of the other house. The President can end a session of Congress, but only if both houses cannot agree on a date to adjourn. This power has never been used. prorogue: to end or discontinue; the President has the power to prorogue a session of Congress Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 10

11 Special Sessions The President can call one or both houses of Congress into a special session to deal with an emergency situation. Only 27 joint special sessions have been called. The Senate has been called out alone 46 times, while the House has never been called out alone. Special sessions are rarely called today since Congress meets for most for the year. The President may threaten to call a special session if Congress has not acted on a measure important to the presidency. This last happened when Harry Truman called one to deal with the aftermath of World War II. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 11

12 Congressional Salary Senators and Congressmen receive $174,000 per year. The Speaker of the House receives $223,500 per year. The Vice President receives $230,700 per year. The President Pro Tempore and the floor leaders in both houses receive $193,400 per year Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 12

13 Congressional Compensation Nonsalary Compensation Special Tax Deduction Generous Travel Allowance Life & Health Insurance $150,000/yr retirement Also Social Security & Medicare Office, staff, free printing Franking privilege Membership Privileges Choice of several fine restaurants to eat at free State-of-the-art gyms Services of Library of Congress Free parking in D.C. and major airports Can t be stopped by police on way to vote Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 13

14 Topic 4: Congress Section 2

15 Profile of the 114th Congress US House of Representatives US House of Representatives House party standings (as of March 15, 2016) 246 Republicans 188 Democrats 1 Vacant Chapter 10, Section 4 Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 15

16 Size of the House For many years the number of seats in the House increased as the country grew in population and new states were added. With the 1910 census, the House grew to 435 seats. The Reapportionment Act of 1929 fixed the size of the House at 435 members. Congress can change this number if it wishes. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 16

17 Reapportionment After each census, the Census Bureau determines the number of seats each state should have. They report to Congress and Congress has 60 days to reject the census report. If they do not reject, the new reapportionment goes into effect. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 17

18 Introduction How are the seats in the House distributed and what qualifications must members meet? There are currently 435 seats in the House. Seats are distributed based on the population of each state, with each state guaranteed at least one representative. Representatives must be at least 25 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and reside in the state that they represent. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 18

19 Census Every 10 years the Census Bureau counts the national population. The Census figures are then used to decide how many representatives each state will have until the next Census is taken. Currently, each seat in the House represents about 700,000 people. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 19

20 Congressional Elections The Constitution gives Congress the authority to determine times, places and manners of holding Congressional Elections. Such elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even years Vacancies in the House can only be filled by a special election called by the governor. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 20

21 Off-year Elections Off-year elections refer to the congressional elections in the year when there is not a presidential election. The party in power in the White House tends to lose seats in Congress in off-year elections Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 21

22 Redrawing Districts In 1842, Congress made each state legislature responsible for redrawing the boundaries for congressional districts. When districts are redrawn to favor the party in power in the state legislature, this is called gerrymandering. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 22

23 Redrawing Districts To legally redraw districts, the legislature must 1. not concentrate all of their opponents into one or a few districtsmake all districts about the same size, 2. Not spread the opposition so thinly as to make it have no possibility of winning the district 3. All districts must be essentially equal in population Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 23

24 For nearly a century, Congress allowed states to either have single member districts or to elect Congressman at large. At large districts are now illegal, except in the states that only have one seat in Congress Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 24

25 Congressional Districts Representatives are elected from singlemember congressional districts. The voters in each district can elect only one representative to the House. The Westberry v. Sanders Supreme Court ruling in 1964 requires each district in a state to have similar-sized populations. High population states have more districts than small population states. Seven states have only one representative, so their district consists of the entire state. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 25

26 Gerrymandering What is gerrymandering and what are its purpose and result? Gerrymandering involves drawing the borders of districts to favor one political party. Tactics include clustering the opposing party s voters in a few districts or spreading them out thinly over many districts. Due to gerrymandering, only a few congressional districts in any election are actually at risk to switch their support from one party to the other. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 26

27 Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 27

28 Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 28

29 Formal Qualifications Custom requires representatives to live in the districts they represent. Representatives must: Be at least 25 years old Have been a U.S. citizen for at least 7 years Be an inhabitant of the state from which he or she is elected. The House has the power to refuse to seat an elected member, to punish members, and to expel them. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 29

30 Informal Qualifications Checkpoint: What informal qualifications affect a candidate s electability? They include factors such as gender, ethnicity, political experience, name recognition, and party affiliation. Being an incumbent is a big advantage more than 90 percent of those seeking reelection to the House win. Being able to raise money is also a key. In 2008 the average cost of running a winning campaign for a seat in the House was over $1 million. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 30

31 Introduction How does the Senate differ from the House? The Senate has only 100 members, two from each state. Members are elected to six-year terms. Senators must be at least 30 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and reside in the state they represent. Senators are often seen as less subject to public pressure and more concerned about national issues than members of the House. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 31

32 Profile of the 114th Congress US Senate US Senate Senate party standings (at the beginning of this Congress) 54 Republicans 44 Democrats 2 Independents, both caucusing with Democrats Chapter 10, Section 4 Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 32

33 Structure of the Senate The size of the Senate changes as new states are admitted to the Union. The Senate began with 22 members in Senators tend to represent a much larger and broader range of citizens than representatives. Each Senator represents his or her entire state, while only seven representatives are elected at large from their entire state as opposed to a congressional district. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 33

34 The Millionaires Club Senators were originally elected by state legislatures rather than by popular vote. In the late 1880s, the Senate was called the Millionaires Club because legislatures often elected wealthy political party and business leaders. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 34

35 The 17th Amendment Checkpoint: How were senators chosen before and after the passage of the 17 th Amendment? In 1913, the 17th amendment changed the way Senators were elected. Senators are now elected by popular vote in statewide elections. Only one senator is elected from a state during any given election. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 35

36 Senate Terms There are no limits on how many six-year terms a Senator can serve. Senate terms are staggered so that one third of them expire every two years. All the seats in the Senate are never up for election at the same time. If a senator dies, resigns, or is expelled, they are typically replaced by a person appointed by the governor of their state until a special election can be held. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 36

37 A Unique Role Senators are thought of as being more focused on national issues and are more likely to be seen as national political leaders than members of the House. Why? Due to their longer terms in office, Senators are seen as less susceptible than representatives to the pressures of public opinion Senators represent larger and more diverse constituencies than representatives in the House, and can champion public policies that appeal to many Americans. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 37

38 National Recognition Senators receive more national and home state media exposure than members of the House, Senators often use this publicity to help them launch presidential campaigns. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 38

39 Senators: Policy and Prestige Senators are Washington celebrities - members of what is often called the world s most exclusive club. Their names are frequently household words and their activities draw media coverage that allows them to call attention to issues that they deem important. Many senators use the spotlight to launch presidential campaigns. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 39

40 Qualifications Senators must meet a stricter set of requirements for office than members of the House of Representatives. The Framers set these requirements, as well as the longer terms in office, because they wanted the Senate to be a more enlightened and responsible legislative body than the House. Senator Edward Kennedy (D., Mass) Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 40

41 Informal Qualifications To be electable, senators must also meet informal qualifications. These can include party affiliation, gender, ethnicity, name recognition, and being an incumbent. Fundraising is also vital for successful senate campaigns. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 41

42 Senate Discipline The Senate has the power to discipline its members or refuse to seat an elected member. The Senate can expel a member with a two thirds vote or punish them with a majority vote. The Senate has expelled 15 members, most of them senators who supported secession during the Civil War. The threat of expulsion or the embarrassment of being publicly denounced by the Ethics Committee has led some senators to resign. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 42

43 Topic 4: Congress Sections 5

44 Presiding Officers Speaker of the House, elected by the majority party in the House. Currently Paul Ryan. President of the Senate, the Vice President of the United States. Currently Mike Pence President Pro Tempore, currently Orrin Hatch Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 44

45 Party Caucus Party Caucus is a closed meeting of the members of each party in each house. Independent members of the House and the Senate usually indicate with which of the two major parties they caucus. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 45

46 Floor Leaders There is a floor leader for each party in each house. If a party is in the majority, the floor leader is referred to as the majority leader. If a party in the minority, the floor leader is referred to as the minority leader. Floor leaders are assisted by party whips. A whip serves as liason between the party s leadership and the rank and file. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 46

47 Committees Committees in both houses serve a way to share the work load. There are Standing Committees in both houses. There are the permanent committees. Each represents a particular kind of expertise: Budget Committee, Foreign Relations Committee, etc. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 47

48 Committee Chairs Seniority Rule Chairmanships usually go to members who have the most seniority Criticism of the seniority rule comes in saying that those who have been there longest are usually from safe seats that are hard to be beaten and are not necessarily the best person for the job. It also ignores the ability of some of the younger members Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 48

49 Subcommittees These are divisions of the standing committees that do most of the work There are now more than 150 subcommittees between the two houses. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 49

50 House Rules Committee The House Rules Committee has the most power. They decide which bills come up for a vote. Most bills die in committee. Of the hundreds that get out of committee, each must go through the rules committee. Only those who are granted a rule, go to the floor for debate and a vote Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 50

51 Select Committees The Select or Special Committees are temporary in nature. They are put together for a particular reason, often to investigate something. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 51

52 Joint & Conference Committees A joint committee is one that is formed from members of both houses A conference committee is made up of members of both houses to iron out a compromise between two different versions of a bill, so that one agreed-upon bill can be voted on by both houses and become a law. Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 52

53 Topic 4: Congress Section 6

54 Public Bills A bill that applies to the nation as a whole Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 54

55 Private Bills A bill that applies to an individual or particular region of the country Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 55

56 Joint Resolutions Similar to bills and when passed has force of law Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 56

57 Concurrent Resolutions Deals with issues where the House and Senate must act jointly, but does not have the force of law Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 57

58 Resolutions Called simple resolutions. Deal with matters that relate to one house alone Do not have force of law Not sent to President for approval Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 58

59 Committee Actions Report Favorably Refuse to Report Pigeonhole Discharge Petition Report Bill in Amended Form Report a Committee Bill Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 59

60 Five Calendars The House has five different calendars Calendar of the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union (commonly known as the Union Calendar) deals with appropriations, revenues and government property House Calendar All other public Bills Private Calendar All private bills Corrections Calendar For bills taken out of order Discharge Calendar For bills to be taken out of committee Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 60

61 Rules Committee Any bill must be granted a rule by the rules committee in order to be brought to the floor for debate and voted on. In the Senate, the majority leader has this power alone Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 61

62 Debate In the House. Members are limited to a certain number of minutes of debate on any issue. In the Senate. Unlimited debate Fillibuster: Talking a bill to death Cloture: Vote by 2/3 of the Senate to end debate and vote on measure Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 62

63 Presidential Action Veto Override of Veto Sign Bill into law Allow Bill to become law without signature Pocket Veto Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 63

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