Chapter 11 Congress- The People’s Branch

  1. House- 2 year term, 25 yrs. old, citizen at least 7 years…Senate -6 year term, 30 yrs old, citizen for at least 9 years. No term limits. Senate was to be a sort of check on the chance of a more radical House.
  2. 435 House members…1 House district for every 656,000 people. No matter the population, each state is entitled to at least one House district. National census determines how many districts a state has. Reapportionment happens when populations shift and or change.
  3. State legislatures control redistricting. Gerrymandering happens when the party holding the majority tries to redraw districts that its own candidates are likely to win. Racial gerrymandering. Each state has 2 senate seats only no matter the population.
  4. Safe seats
  5. Congressional Elections
  6. Campaigns
  7. Election day
  8. Explaining Results
  9. Structure and Powers
  10. Divided Branch- Bicameralism(2 houses of congress)
  11. Powers- enumerated- lay and collect taxes, borrow and coin money, regulate citizenship, build post offices, establish lower courts of the federal judiciary, declare war, raise armies, build navies, regulate commerce and immigration. Making all laws necessary and proper…The elastic clause. Constitutional amendment and impeachment.
  12. Managing Congress-
  13. Leading the House- The Speaker of the House- calendar of legislation, ordinary rules can be suspended with a 2/3 vote…Committee of the whole; quorum is only 100 instead of a majority. Speaker is from the majority party and second in line of succession to president. Speaker chooses who may speak on the House floor, rules on parliamentary procedure, appoint temporary committee members.
  14. Other officers- majority leader, minority leader, whips.
  15. Party Caucus- members of a party in a legislative chamber meet to elect officers and develop party policy.
  16. Rules- Closed- no amendments…only committee members may make amendments; Open-all members may propose amendments
  17. Leading the Senate- Majority Leader…same structure; smaller body; President Pro Tempore (vice president)- Ceremonial head of senate, no power; can only vote in case of a tie.
  18. Senate Hold- Temporary blockage of a bill or nomination
  19. The Filibuster- Refusal to relinquish the floor thereby delaying proceedings and preventing votes
  20. The cloture- a process to end debate; especially filibusters in the senate
  21. Senatorial courtesy- submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work.
  22. Congressional Committees…Where the work gets done…They legislate!
  23. Types of committees: Standing- permanent committee usually focused on a policy area. Special or Select- purpose specific sometimes used to conduct an investigation. Joint- Members from both House and Senate; oversee Library of Congress and conduct investigations
  24. Types of Purpose: Authorizing, Appropriations, Rules and Administration, Revenue and Budget.
  25. Choosing Members- Standing committees are partisan in nature. The chairman and majority come from the party in control. Minority seats are determined by the total proportion of the chamber…unless it is an important committee. Seniority is important and veterans get the best assignments. Republicans use Committee on Committee …One member from each state that has republican representation. Democrats use Steering and Policy committee. Senior Democrats have membership.
  26. Additional Powers- Investigation ( Watergate) and Oversight (CIA, FBI. Homeland Security)
  27. Conference Committees- Mediates on a particular bill passed by each in a different form between The House and Senate.
  28. Caucuses…Informal committees-Black, Hispanic, Women’s, Friends of the CaribbeanBasinetc.
  29. The Job of a Legislator- Writes laws and policies and represents a home constituency. Some believe they are delegates from their district; others believe they are trustees given the power to do what is best for the nation as well as their district or state.
  30. The Lawmakers: Influences
  31. Policy and Philosophic Convictions
  32. Voters…attentive public
  33. Colleagues
  34. Congressional Staff
  35. Party
  36. Interest Groups
  37. The President
  38. How a bill becomes a law:
  39. Introducing a bill
  40. Committee review- referral decision, mark up, discharge petition- majority of the House can pry a bill from committee
  41. Floor debate and Passage (riders)…Bill will pass if the President does not sign it in 10 days and congress is in session. If congress is not in session, if president does not sign bill in 10 days it is considered vetoed. President can veto a bill but the veto can be overridden by a 2/3 vote.
  42. Compromise
  43. Criticisms
  44. Inefficient
  45. Unrepresentative
  46. Unethical
  47. Lacks Collective Responsibility