Government Chapter Five

Government Chapter FiveUnit 2: The Legislative Branch

Chapter 5: The Organization of Congress 5.1 Congressional Membership5.2 House of Representatives5.3 The Senate5.4 Committees and Agencies

5.1 Congressional MembershipSessionsHouse of RepresentativesRepresentationRedistrictingGerrymanderingSenateCharacteristics

SessionsEach term of Congress has two sessions.Each session lasts one year.When Congress is not in session, the President may call a special session.

House of RepresentativesThe House has 435 members.A representative must be at least 25 years old,an American citizen for at least seven yearsand a legal resident of the state he or she represents.Representatives serve two-year terms.

Extra-Credit QuestionWho represents Evergreen in the U.S. House of Representatives?Write your answer down.Turn it in on your way INTO class tomorrow.Do not share your research with others.House of RepresentativesEvery two years all 435 members are up for election.The House also has four other members who can introduce legislation but cannot vote.They are from D.C., Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.

RepresentationThe Census Bureau takes a census every ten years.The number of representatives from a state depends on its population.Congress passed the Reapportionment Act of 1929 which limited the number of representatives to 435 members.Each census determines how the seats in Congress will be distributed among the states.

www.census.gov

RedistrictingAfter the census, each state legislature draws new districts.The number of districts represent the new number of representatives.Each representative serves in the district that he or she lives.The power of redistricting is sometimes abused through unequal districts and gerrymandering.www.house.gov

GerrymanderingGerrymandering is the process of redrawing district boundaries to gain an advantage in elections for the controlling political party.Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry approved a redistricting plan that gave the Democratic-republicans an advantage over the Federalists.

GerrymanderingOne of the districts was shaped like a salamander.Gilbert Stuart drew a head, wings, and claws for a political cartoon.The papers called it a Gerrymander after Elbridge Gerry instead of a salamander.

GerrymanderingThe two methods of gerrymandering are packing and cracking.Packing places as many of the opposing partys voters in one district.This makes it safe for the majority party in the other districts.Cracking divides the opposing partys voters among many districts to weaken them.The Supreme Court has ruled that gerrymandering is unconstitutional.

SenateSenators must be at least 30 years old,citizens for at least nine years,and legal residents of the state he or she represents.Senators serve 6-year terms.Only 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection at a time.

SenateSenators enjoy many benefits including stationary, free postage for official business,a medical clinic, a gym, allowances for business expenses, tax deductions, and a retirement plan.

SenateSenators cannot be arrested any crimes except treason, felony, and breach of peace when Congress is in session.

CharacteristicsNearly half of the members of Congress are lawyers.Most are white men over 50 years old.

CharacteristicsIncumbents usually have the advantage over challengers.Fundraisers are easier for incumbents.Gerrymandering still gives some incumbents advantages.Incumbents have name recognition.Incumbents use their position to establish experience.The majority of voters believe their incumbent represents their views best.

CharacteristicsTelevision and the internet have changed how politicians campaign (ex: You tube).

Extra-Credit AnswerWho represents Evergreen in the U.S. House of Representatives?Representative Martha Roby

5.2 The House of RepresentativesCommitteesSpeaker of the HouseMajority LeaderWhips Minority leadershipBills in the HouseThe House Rules Committee

John BoehnerCommitteesEach representative serves on various committees.Most work in congress happens in committees.Committees determine whether or not bills should be voted on.They can also amend the bills before the House votes on them.The chairpersons of the committees are members of the majority party.

House Ways and Means Committee29

Speaker of the HouseThe Speaker is the presiding officer and the most powerful person in the House.The majority party picks the Speaker of the House through a caucus.The Speaker schedules which bills will be debated and voted on.

John BoehnerMajority Leader

The majority leader is the Speakers top assistant.He or she is elected by the majority party.The majority leader serves the majority party.

Eric CantorWhips The majority and deputy whips assist the majority leader.They help persuade representatives to support legislation that their party proposes.

Kevin McCarthyMinority leadership

The minority party also elects a minority leader.The minority leader is also assisted by whips from his or her own political party.Minority leadership serve similar functions and the majority leadership.It does not have scheduling powers like the majority party.Nancy PelosiBills in the House

Representatives put bills into the hopper.The Speaker sends them to the right committees.Approved bills are put on the proper calendar for debate.

The House Rules CommitteeThis committee is one of the most powerful ones in the House.It receives all bills approved by the other committees in the House.It determines if and when bills will be voted on by the full House.It settles disputes between other committees.

The House Rules CommitteeA regular session requires a quorum of 218 members.The House may sit as a Committee of the Whole.Only 100 members are needed for a quorum.It speeds the process for debating and amending a bill for important matters.

Discussion Question: Why is so much of the work of Congress done in committees? Committees divide up the tasks and make them more manageable.

5.3 SenateThe BasicsSenate LeadershipBillsFilibuster

The BasicsThe Senate is smaller and more informal than the House.The Vice President is the president of the Senate.The VP can only vote if there is a tie.The VP has much less power in the Senate than the Speaker does in the House.The president pro tempore (president pro tem) presides over the Senate in the absence of the VP.Pro tem means for the time being.The president pro tem is selected by the Senate.

Senate LeadershipThe Senate majority leader guides bills through the Senate.The Senate minority leader develops criticism for majority party bills.Majority and minority whips pressure party members how to vote.

Harry ReidBillsSenate leadership sends bills to committees.Approved bills are placed on the Calendar of General Orders.Treaties and nominations are put on the Executive Calendar.The majority party controls the flow of legislation.

Filibuster

To filibuster is means to stall the legislative procedure to prevent a vote.Other senators can stop a filibuster only through a 3/5 vote for cloture.

Strom Thurmond during filibusterDiscussion question:Why does the committee system have a less important role in the Senate than in the House of Representatives? More discussion takes place on the floor of the Senate because there are fewer senators.

5.4 Committees and Agencies*Purposes of CommitteesKinds of CommitteesCommittee MembersSupport Agencies

*5.4 and 5.5 combined from textbook

Purposes of CommitteesCommittees divide up work and makes it more manageable.They allow members to specialize on key issues.They select the most important bills for the whole Congress to consider.They hold public hearings to inform the public on key issues.

Kinds of CommitteesStanding committees deal with issues that continue from one Congress to the next.The majority party in each house controls the standing committees.It also assigns committee membership to its advantage.Subcommittees handle special subcategories of standing committees.Subcommittees continue from one Congress to the next.Select committees address temporary issues for the House or Senate.They usually last for one term.They research issues and report their findings.

Kinds of CommitteesJoint committees are made up of Representatives and Senators.They act as study groups.They may be permanent or temporary.Conference committees are temporary committees that resolve differences in House and Senate versions of the same bill so each house can accept or reject the same bill.

Committee MembersMembers on the more powerful committees have more influence.

The Seniority system usually guides the election of the chairpersons.

Support Agencies

The Library of Congress provides information requested by Congress.The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) coordinates budget related tasks for Congress.The General Accounting Office is the watchdog over the congressional spending.

Support Agencies

The Government Printing Office prints the Congressional Record and the Statistical Abstract of the United States.It does the printing for the entire federal government.The Congressional Record provides a complete account of congressional speeches and testimony.Test Tomorrow!