Name: Date: Period: Ch 11: Lawmakers and Legislators Notes Ch 11: Lawmakers and Legislators 1
In the course of reading this lesson and participating in the classroom activity, students will a analyze the formal and informal qualifications for members of Congress b identify the enumerated powers of the legislative branch and the checks provided by the Constitution to thatbranch on the other branches of government c compare the organization of the legislative branch at the national and state levels d analyze graphs, tables, diagrams, and political cartoons to understand the responsibilities and challenges of being a legislator Preview 1 What qualifications do you need to be in Congress? Congress I The National Legislature 1 Why does the US have a bicameral legislature? a Historical b Practical New Jersey Plan Virginia plan c Theoretical 2 How long is a term of Congress? a Terms lasts b Jan 6, 2015 start of the 3 How long is a session of Congress? a A session is b Adjourn Notes Ch 11: Lawmakers and Legislators 2
4 What is a special session? a b Only every called Most recent was in 1948 by Harry Truman to consider anti-inflation and welfare measures after WWII c II The House of Representatives v Senate House Senate Number of Members Formal Qualifications Age Residency Citizenship Membership based on Term Our Current Congressmen and party affiliation Trivia Notes Ch 11: Lawmakers and Legislators 3
Based off of the information in the chart on page 3, which house seems to be more prestigious (the upper house)? Why? III The Members of Congress 1 What are the Personal and Political Backgrounds a Members of Congress a representative cross section of the nation b 56% are Protestant, 31% are Roman Catholic, 6% are Jewish c nearly half of all legislators were d 95% have a college degree (21 Members of the House and 1 Senator have no educational degree beyond a high school diploma) 2 Five Major Roles a Legislators b Represent the people that vote for them Trustees Delegates Partisans Politicos attempt to balance being trustees, delegates and partisans c Committee Members Specialize in one area of the law; A way to earn prestige and power d Servants of their Constituents - Try to help based on issues important to their constituents e Politicians 3 Compensation a All Senators and Representatives b the Majority and Minority Leaders c Speaker of the House Notes Ch 11: Lawmakers and Legislators 4
d Nonsalary Compensation Office staff expenses Franking privilege 4 Membership Privileges a b 114 th Congress Statistics House Senate Avg Length of Service Republicans Democrats Independents White Black Hispanic Asian Women Average Age Notes Ch 11: Lawmakers and Legislators 5
Congressional Leadership House Senate Presiding Officer Majority Leaders Minority Leaders Majority Whips Minority Whips 1 Floor Leaders 2 Whips IV Congressional Committee System 1 Standing Committee a Gather information through hearings and investigations b Subcommittees 2 Select/Special Committees 3 Joint Committees 4 Conference Committee Notes Ch 11: Lawmakers and Legislators 6
Glossary Chp 11 Directions: Fill in the definition for the term listed Then, in the box on the right, you have to draw a picture OR write the definition in your own words OR write a sentence using the word that demonstrates its meeting Adjourn Apportion Gerrymandering Off-Year Election At-Large Constituency Franking Privilege Notes Ch 11: Lawmakers and Legislators 7
Summary DIRECTIONS: Choose only one of the following: a) write a summary (25-75 words) of what you believe was the most important aspect of the notes/lecture b) write what you believe to be the most interesting or memorable part of the notes/lecture (25-75 words) c) draw something that symbolizes the notes/lecture to you (has to be different than your title page) Notes Ch 11: Lawmakers and Legislators 8