Representing the People

Section 3

Key Terms

• Franking Privilege: The right of senators and representatives to send job-related mail without paying postage

• Lobbyist: Representative of an interest group who contacts lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence policy making

• Casework: The work that a lawmaker does to help constituents with a problem

• Pork-Barrel Project: Government projects and grants that primarily benefit the home district or state

Requirements and Benefits of Congress

• Legal qualifications:

Constitution

• Senator: 30 yrs old– Live in state you represent

– U.S. citizen 9 yrs

• House of Reps: 25 yrs old– Live in state you represent

– U.S. citizen 7 yrs

Requirements and Benefits of Congress

• Salary for Congress:– $165,200 (`07)

• Senators and reps.

Free– Office space

– Parking

– Trips to home states

– Franking privilege

Congressional Staff: Behind The Scenes Helpers

• Congress: Full-time job

• Need help with workloads– Hire staff of clerks,

secretaries, and special assistants

• Personal Staff

• Committee Staff

• Support Services

Personal Staff

• Gather info. on new bills and issues that will be discussed in Congress

• Write speeches

• Arrange meetings

• Deal with reporters

• Deal with lobbyist

• Work for reelection

Personal Staff

• Members of Congress also hire students from home state or district to serve as pages or interns

• Interns: help with research and office duties

• Pages: deliver messages and run errands

• Gives them first-hand look at political process

Committee Staff

• Congressional Committees need staff

• Every Committee and Subcommittee as staff members

• Many have knowledge about special topics– Taxes– Military defense– Health care

• Member duties:– Draft bills– Gather info.– Organize committee hearings– Negotiate with lobbyists

Support Services

• Congress has created agencies to support its work:– Library of Congress

• One of largest libraries in world

– Congressional Research Service

• Looks up facts

• Creates arguments for and against proposed bills

Support Services

– General Accounting Office• Reviews spending of

federal agencies• Studies federal programs• Recommends ways to

improve govt. spending

– Congressional Budget Office

• Provides info. And analysis for making budget decisions

• Estimates costs and economic effects of programs

Members of Congress at Work

• Sessions begin Jan. 3rd– Continue throughout year

• Members represent the people of their state or district• Members perform 3 major jobs:

1. Lawmaking2. Casework3. Helping the District of State

Lawmaking

• Most known task of Congress

• Write and introduce bills

• Committee work

• Listen to input of people on bills

• Vote

Casework

• Members of Congress perform Casework– Requests come by mail or e-mail– Congress gets 80,000 e-mails daily– Some offices average 10,000 requests for help yearly

• Most requests are handled by Congress person’s staff

Helping the District or State

• Members need to protect the interest of their state or district

• Securing projects and grant money– Billions of $$$$ yearly

• Post offices• Dams• Military bases• Veteran’s hospitals• Mass transit • Contracts to make things• etc..

• Pork-Barrel Projects

Homework

• Worksheets #71-74