Congress slideshare

Congress

House of Representatives

• Size and Terms– Size: ______ (started with 65)• Size is set by congress (since 1911)• ____________________ by population

– Largest is CA-53– States with 1 seat- Alaska, Delaware, Montana, N. Dakota, S.

Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming– Non Voting delegates- DC, Guam, Virgin Islands, Am. Samoa,

Puerto Rico.


• Term of Service– Term is _______________. – No limit on terms


• _______________________ – def.- determining the number of Reps. Each state

gets. – When?- after each ______________– How?• Census bureau determines number per state• Since the 2002 elections (5) the magic number has

been _______________ per district.


• Elections– First _______________ following the first

________________ in November in even numbered years

– Every other election is also a presidential election– Midterm/off year elections: years when no

presidential election is happening• Usually we see a swing towards the opposing party in

this election.


-Districts– _______________ (1 rep from each geographic area) Contiguous- all parts touch each other, no hopping around Approximately the same number of residents in each district,

647,000

– ___________________________- putting dif. number of citizens in each congressional district Districts were drawn by square miles (rural power) Population of districts within a state must be equal


• _____________________– Setting boundaries to benefit certain parties or

ethnic groups. – Way to dilute a group’s vote• Packing- put all of one group into a single district• Cracking- sprinkling a group throughout numerous

different districts

– Ruled ok for political reasons, not if ________________


• Qualifications– Constitution requires: • _____ years old• _____________• 7 years ____________ of state

– States require• Reside in representative district• Certain residency lengths (state specific)

Senate

• Election and Terms (40% first served in the House)– ______ per state• Originally chosen by state legislature• Today chosen by popular vote of the state during an at

large election (17th Amendment)

Senate

-Term of service: ______________– Staggered terms, no chance of having entirely new senate

in 1 election (continuous body)– Less worried about public pressure/interest– Most influenced by special interest groups (needs more $)– Broad, more diverse scope of representation

-More political power– _________________– __________________– ____________________

Senate

• Qualifications– ____- years old– US citizen for _____ years– Inhabitant of state– _____________ set length of residency codes

Policing of Membership

• “___________” qualifications- – refuse to seat the member– Basically the vote of no confidence

• ______________– to kickout– Ex. James Traficant: expelled for taking bribes by a 420-1

vote. Sentenced to 7 years federal incarceration. • __________________– Public reprimand. No real punishment other than

approval rating.

Demographics of Congress

• ________ members: not legitimate cross-section• Description- White, late 50’s– Avg. age: House-_____, Senate- ______– Mostly Married– 60% _____________, 25% _______________, 8%

__________________– 1/3 of house and ½ of Senate are current/former

lawyers– 4/5 hold a college degree

Demographics cont’d…

• Women and Minorities– Women: House-70, Senate- 13– African American: House-41, Senate- 1– Hispanic- House-30, Senate-3

Pay

• Senate – Member- $_________________– Majority Party Leader - $___________________– Minority Party Leader - $___________________

• House – Member- $___________________– Speaker of the House - $____________________– Majority Leader - $_____________________– Minority Leader - $_______________________

• *most live solely of the salary (not independently wealthy)

Duties of Office

• ____________________– They make laws

• _______________________– First step in making laws– Collect the information about a bill– Screening process- ex. Presidential appointees– Oversee executive branch’s agencies/departments• Are they using the money wisely?• Are they carrying out the law?

Duties of Office• _____________________– Must do what is right (conscience)– Usually think “what is best for the country”

• May be against what constituents want (dangerous)

• ______________________– Represent the voters (supposed to “curb” personal

views• ______________________– Duty bound to vote with, act in interest of your

party– Safer if you represent a “solid” community

Duties of Office

• ________________________– Balancing act of 3 roles: • Trustee• Delegate• Partisan

• ___________________________– Help those (businesses and individuals) at “home”

(good for reelection)

Review/ Remember

• Limited government• Separation of powers• Checks and Balances• Federalism

How a Bill becomes a Law

** a bill is a proposed law

Creating Bills

• Who can draft it?– President– Executive agencies– Congressmen/staff– Interest groups/lobbyist

• Why so few make it (less than 10%)– As many as 10,000 are introduced per term– Process: at least 100 steps – Compromise is required– Politics: some are proposed just for show

Types of Bills and Resolutions

• _______________- proposed or draft law• ___________________-no force of law/1

house• ___________________- force of law/both

houses• ____________________- no force of

law/both houses• __________- unrelated to main purpose

of bill• ____________- $$ designated for

specific purpose

Introduction/First reading

• House: member drops it in the “hopper”– Not read aloud– Given a number and short title– Assigned to committee by speaker (H)/ majority leader

(S)• Senate– Sponsor recognizes bill, read aloud, then sent to

committee• Placed into Congressional Record – All things said and done in congress daily

Bill in Committee• Chairmen assigns a subcommittee• Steps– Pigeonholing a bill: death by neglect– Voting at the start• Kill• Adopt without change (rare)

– Rewrite/ Major Change– Committee Hearing• No specified length (time)• Purpose is to get info

– Final Vote• Approve (report out)- must have majority• Refuse to approve

Bill in Committee

• ___________________– Final version of bill– “reported out” to full House or Senate

• Most legislators ___________ committee decision (why?)– They are the experts (did the homework)– Want the same support when it is their turn

House rules and Calendars

• Debate and floor vote– Requires calendaring

• Some bills are “top” priority– Taxes– Spending

• System in place because of size of House– Too many bills and too many people

Bill on the Floor

• ___________________• Number required to do business• Majority of the members (H and S)

• Amendments• 2nd reading• Amendments offered- 5 minutes of debate then vote

• “Christmas Tree Bill”• Lots of amendments

Bill on the floor

• Debate (House)• Must stay on topic• Strict time limits

• Debate (Senate): *great commitment to debate• The ___________________• Talk it to death• Delay or prevent action• Talk about anything, on or off topic• Mere threat can and does kill a bill• Stops work from being done

Bill on the floor

• Voting- Physically present– House• Voice: Aye or Nay• Standing: counted by clerk• Teller: stand and be counted (walk by)• Roll call (count the quorum)

– Electronic– Aye or Nay– 15 minutes grace then locked in

– Senate– Voice– Standing– Roll call- traditional

Final Steps

• Third reading• Voted on again– After this it is delivered in final copy to the other

house

Conference Committee

• Required to compromise 2 versions of 1 bill• Conferees: – members of standing committee who originally

handled bill (in accurate %)• No agreement is a rare occurance• CC’s job: – Resolve points of disagreement– Not a “new” committee

Off to the Man

• Bill sent to president– 4 options• Sign it• Veto it

– Refuse to sign (send back to 1st House)– Override (Congress can override with 2/3 vote)

• Allow to become law with no signature– Pres. Doesn’t act within 10 days (excluding Sundays) WHILE

congress is in session

• Pocket Veto– If congress adjourns before 10 days (out of session) and Pres.

Has not acted = NO LAW

Congress slideshare

Education

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