Respond to the following quote:

“Though the President is Commander in Chief, Congress is his commander… this is not a Government of kings…,but a Government of the People, and … Congress is the people”

The Legislative BranchChapter 10

Unit 3

• http://congress.indiana.edu/scripts/facts_of_congress/house_of_reps.html

3 branches of Government

Legislative Branch

• Congress is Bicameral• Two Separate Houses• Senate and House of Representatives

• Law-making branch of government• Created by Article I of the Constitution• Currently in 110th Congress

• January 4, 2007- January 3, 2009• Sessions of Congress

• Period in which Congress conducts businesses

Legislative Branch

• Older, better educated, more white, more male, and richer than the rest of the United States. In the 110th Congress

• Average age of both House Members is 57• 42 African-Americans in the House• There are 30 Hispanics• Seven Members of the House and Senate are

of Asian or Native Hawaiian ancestry• There is one Native American in the House• Total number of women is 90

• There are 16 in the Senate and 74 in the House,

House of Representatives

Qualifications- written in constitution• 25 Years of Age• Must live in State• 7 Year US Citizen

Unwritten Qualification• Must live within district

House of Representatives

Size

• Current size of House of Representatives is 435 members

• Each state is guaranteed at least 1 Representative

• Only 1 Representative•Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota,

South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming•Washington D.C., Guam, Virgin Islands,

American Samoa, and Puerto Rico

House of Representatives

Terms

• Representatives are elected every 2 years

• No constitutional limit on the number of terms

House of Representatives

Elections

• Every 2 years• Single Member Districts• Off year elections

• Party in power usually loses seats• Incumbents carry huge advantage

• 75-85% Re-Election Rate• Why??

House of Representatives

Elections

• Connections to interest groups, corporations, PACs

• Pork-barrel politics• More campaign $• Name Recognition• Franking Privileges

House of Representatives

Reapportionment

• Redistribute seats every 10 years based on population

• Reappointment Act of 19291. Permanent Size = 4352. Following each census, Census Bureau sets

number of seats for each state3. President sends Bureau’s plan to Congress4. Congress approves and send to state

legislatures to draw new lines if necessary

As of the 2000 census:

• Average population per district: 646,946 people • State with the most districts: California (53) • District with the greatest area: Alaska At-large • District with the smallest area: New York's 15th• District with the most people: Montana At-large

(905,316) • District with the fewest people: Wyoming At-large

(495,304) • Oldest district: Delaware At-large (Same

geographical borders since 1789)

• http://congress.indiana.edu/scripts/facts_of_congress/representative_numbers.html

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois%27_10th_congressional_district

House of Representatives

DistrictsRedistricting

• Contiguous Territory• Equal number of inhabitants• Compact Territory• Techniques can concentrate opposition

votes into one district or divide and conquer

• Has significant impact on membership

http://www.house.gove/kirk/district.shtml

Chicagoland

House of Representatives

Gerrymandering

• District lines redrawn in favor of a political party or racial group

• Elbridge Gerry• MA

The SenateChapter 10

Section 3

• http://congress.indiana.edu/scripts/http://congress.indiana.edu/scripts/facts_of_congress/the_senate.htmlfacts_of_congress/the_senate.html

Senate

Size• Constitution Sets number at 2 per state

(100 Senators)• Represent a larger, more diverse

population (constituents)Illinois Senators:http://

www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=IL

Senate

Election:• 17th Amendment- voters decide senator, prior to

this senators were chosen by state legislators• Only one Senator is elected per election

Term:• 6 year term• No term limit• Terms are staggered• Continuous Body

• All seats are never given up for election at the same time• Only 1/3 expire (33 or 34)

• http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/e_one_section_no_teasers/org_chart.htm

Senate

Qualifications:• Higher requirements then House• At least 30 years of age• Must have been citizen of US for 9

years• Must be inhabitant of the State from

which they are elected

Leadership

• http://congress.indiana.edu/scripts/http://congress.indiana.edu/scripts/facts_of_congress/facts_of_congress/congressional_leaders.htmlcongressional_leaders.html

• http://congress.indiana.edu/http://congress.indiana.edu/learn_about/launcher.htmlearn_about/launcher.htm

Does Congress affect your life??• http://congress.indiana.edu/http://congress.indiana.edu/

learn_about/launcher.htmlearn_about/launcher.htm