Chapter 6 – The Legislative Branch

Section 1 – How Congress is Organized

Mr. Gibbs – January 2009

Virginia Plan vs. New Jersey Plan

Virginia Plan:“Representation should be based on population”– Big States – “YES!!!! AWESOME IDEA YOU GUYS!”– Small States – “Grumble. Grumble. Grumble.”

NJ Plan: “Equal Representation – regardless of population”– Small States:“YES!!!! AWESOME IDEA YOU

GUYS!”– Big States: “Grumble. Grumble. Grumble.”

The Great Compromise

• Roger Sherman: “We shall have 2 houses!”

• A Bi-Cameral Legislature– Upper House: Senate (equal rep.)– Lower House – House of Representatives (based

on pop.)

– Together they form “Congress”

Terms of Congress

• Each “Congress” – the 535 elected reps meet from January 3rd in an odd number year and are in office for a term of 2 years.

• A “Congressional Term” consists of two “Sessions”– A “Session” runs from January 3rd until November

or December

Congressional Sessions

• Typical session

• Joint session

• Special Session– “times of crisis”

The House of Representatives

• 435 – based on population• At least 1 – no matter how small you are• Census• 2 year terms• Focus on their “district”

Districts?

• 1 elected from each district• Each district must be roughly the same size

and include the same number of constituents• What is “Gerrymandering”

The Senate

• 100 members, 2 from each state• Rep the state…not the district• 6 year terms – but with a staggered election– Huh?

• Dies, Resigns, changes roles?

Majority Party vs. Minority Party

• 435 and 100 (218 and 51) – leaders chosen in both parties (“Senate Majority Leader”)

• Leader of the House of Representatives? – The “Speaker of the House” – elected by his fellow

party members

• Leader of the Senate?– Vice President presides over Senate…but only

votes to break a tie

Profile of the 110 Congress 2007-2009

House Senate Democrats 233 49

Republicans 202 49 Independents 0 2Women 70 14 Blacks 42 1 Hispanics 24 2 Average age - 55

Re-elected - 96% House and 93% Senate

Profile of the NEW 111th Congress 2009-2010

House Senate

Democrats 254 56 Republicans 173 40 Independents 0 2

Role of the Speaker of the House

• Steers Legislation• Conduct all debates on the floor• 1.) President. 2.) Vice President 3.) Speaker of

the House

• Listens to conversations regarding support or non-support of certain legislature

• Garners support from other reps for key issues

Role of the ______________?(several leadership roles in Senate)

• Vice President

• President Pro Tempore

• Floor Leaders

• Whip

Committee Work

• MAIN IDEA: MUCH OF THE ACTUAL WORK OF LEGISLATING IS PERFORMED BY COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEES WITHIN CONGRESS

“Each house of Congress must consider thousands of bills (proposed laws) in the course of a session. To make it possible to handle so many bills at one time, each house has developed a system of committees”

Congressional Committees• Standing Committees– Always in existence – located in both houses– Agriculture, commerce, veterans’ affairs

• Select Committees– Temporary – only in existence for a limited time –

and end when they meet their specific goal(s)/assigned task

• Joint Committees– Members from both houses involved – specific issues

Committee Assignments

• Party Leaders make the committee assignments– Members’ preference– Expertise– Loyalty– Seniority

• Chairmen come from the member who has the most “seniority”

Seniority System

• 2 sides to the argument:– 1.) prevents fights over committee jobs & ensures

that the chairpersons will have experience

– 2.) Talented people have been overlooked, not fair to reward people simply for “being there”

Congress has started to move away from the Seniority System