The Legislative Branch

CP Political Systems

Congress 101

• Article I of the U.S. Constitution creates a bicameral (two house) legislature

• Result of Connecticut or Great Compromise

• Each house would serve as a check on the power of the other House of Representatives : represented the people; membership based on

population; members chosen by popular vote (“House of the People”) Senate: represented the state; each state had same number of members;

members chosen by state legislatures

• Each house chooses its own leadership and determines their own rules

• Congress meets in the Capitol Building in Washington, DC

House Chamber Senate Chamber

Rotunda

Old Old

Congress 101A Comparison of the House and Senate

House of Representatives Senate

Membership 435 members

Based on population

100 members

Two from each state

Terms of Office 2 years

Entire House elected every 2 years

6 years

Staggered terms w/ 1/3 elected every 2 years

Qualifications At least 25 years old

Citizen for 7 years

Live in state represented

At least 30 years old

Citizen for 9 years

Live in state represented

Constituencies Smaller

Only represent individual districts

Larger

Represent entire state

Prestige Less prestige More prestige

Congress 101:A Comparison of the House and Senate

House of Representatives Senate

Floor Debate Limit on time allowed

(Set by Rules Committee)

Unlimited time

Filibuster allowed (unlimited debate to stall passage of legislation)

Staff Fewer staff

Less reliance on staff

More staff

More reliance on staff

Confirmation

Powers and Impeachment Powers

Only confirms VP appointment by President

Brings Impeachment charges against official and investigates

Confirms all presidential appointments (ambassadors, cabinet members, federal judges, etc…) with 2/3 majority

Tries the Impeachment case and acts as jury

Treaty Ratification Powers No power to ratify treaties Must ratify all treaties

Most Powerful Leader Speaker of the House Majority Floor Leader

Congress 101

• Congressional Sessions Each term of Congress begins on Jan. 3 of odd-numbered years and

lasts for 2 years Ex. 104th Congress began its term in January 1995; 105th

Congress began its term its term in January 1997 Each year of a Congressional term called a session

2 Congressional sessions = 1 Congressional term 1781-1933: Congress in session Dec.- March 1934-Present: Congress in session Jan.- Nov. or Dec.

Why? Increased workload and 20th Amendment Congress remains in sessions until both houses vote to adjourn House and Senate cannot adjourn for more than 3 days w/out approval

of other house President can call Congress back for special session if adjourned Sometimes House and Senate meet together in joint session

Congress 101

• Congressional Members 535 voting members ; 435 (House) 100 (Senate) 5 non-voting delegates in the House

1 each from D.C., Guam, American Samoa, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico

Half of members are lawyers; many others are businessman, bankers, and educators; have experience in govt. and public service

Typically white, middle aged males; avg. age over 50 Recent members have began to reflect diversity of population

109th U.S. Congress

• Racial Composition of the 109th Congress

U.S. House

White - 367African Am.- 42Hispanic- 26

U.S. SenateWhite – 97African Am. – 1Hispanic -2

White

African Am.

Hispanic

White

African. Am

Hispanic

110th U.S. Congress: Senate

White 81%

Black 1%

Jewish 14%

Hispanic 2%

Asian 2%

Native America 0%

White

Black

Jewish

Hispanic

Asian

Native America

110th U.S. Congress: House

white 76%

black 10%

Jewish 7%

Hispanic 6%

Asian 1%

Native America 0%

white

black

Jewish

Hispanic

Asian

Native America

109th U.S. Congress

• Partisan Composition There are currently 231

Republicans and 202 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. There is one Independent member of the House--Bernie Sanders (VT). In the Senate, there are 55 Republicans, 44 Democrats and one Independent--James Jeffords (VT). The Republicans have held the majority in the House since 1994. In terms of percentages, 53% of House members and 55% of Senators are Republicans.

House

Senate

111th Congress Republican Democrat Independent Vacancies

Senate 40 58 2 0

House of Reps 178 262 0 1

Republican

Democrat

Independent

Vacancie s

Republican

Democrat

Vacancies

House Senate

109th U.S. Congress

• Men and Women in Congress While the partisan

composition of the Congress is fairly close to that of the electorate, there are larger disparities between the Congress and the general citizenry in terms of sex and race. In the House, there are currently 357 men and 68 women. In the Senate, there are 14 women and 86 men.

House

Senate

111th Congress

Women 18%

Men 82%

Men

Women

House of Representatives

Women 18%

Men 82%

Men

Women

Senate

Congress 101

• Salary, Benefits, and Privileges• Set their own salary - $162,100/year

• Free office space

• Free trips to home states

• Budgets for assistants, office staff, and supplies

• Discounts on services like medical care

• Franking Privilege – free postage

• Immunity in certain situations (not felonies) Can face expulsion for conduct unbecoming (2/3 vote of either house) Can face censure for less serious offenses

Congressman apologizes and offense is made public

The House of Representatives

The House of Representatives

• Who do they represent?• Constituents: YOU! ; People being represented in House or Senate

o Representation based on population

o State has 1 representative per 588,000 people

o Each congressional district in the state elects 1 representative to the House (Constitution guarantees each state at least 1)

o 90% of Reps. are re-elected

(incumbents)

o No limit on # of terms

.Henry C. “Hank” Johnson , JrU.S. Representative (GA) District 4

The House of Representatives: Georgia Congressional Districts

Georgia U.S. Representatives

John Linder Nathan Deal

David Scott

Barrow, John, Georgia, 12th Bishop Jr., Sanford D., Georgia, 2nd Deal, Nathan, Georgia, 9th Gingrey, Phil, Georgia, 11th Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" Jr., Georgia, 4th Kingston, Jack, Georgia, 1st Lewis, John, Georgia, 5th Linder, John, Georgia, 7th Marshall, Jim, Georgia, 8th Broun, Paul C., Georgia, 10th Price, Tom, Georgia, 6th Scott, David, Georgia, 13th Westmoreland, Lynn A., Georgia, 3rd

The House of Representatives:Getting Elected

• Practices related to determining congressional representation in the House:

Reapportionment: redistribution of Congressional seats after the census if there are changes in population

Congressional Re-districting: the re-drawing by state legislatures of congressional districts after reapportionment

Gerrymandering: drawing congressional districts to favor one political party over another

House of Representatives:Gerrymandering

• Gerrymandering Term traced to Eldridge Gerry (D-R Governor of Mass.)

Signed a re-districting plan that gave his party a big political advantage

One district shaped like “salamander”Artist Gilbert Stuart added a head, wings and

claw (next slide)

**Only restriction is that all Congressional districts must be approximately equal in population**

The House of Representatives:Gerrymandering

Gerrymander

House of Representatives:Leadership

Facts about leadership:

• Majority party in each house controls the leadership positions

Speaker of the House

Majority Party Leader

(Floor Leader)

Majority Party Whip

(Assistant Floor Leader)

Minority Party Leader

(Floor Leader)

Committee Chairs

Minority Party Whip

(Assistant Floor Leader)

House of Representatives Chamber

The House of Representatives:Leadership

• Speaker of the House • Nancy Pelosi (D-CA )

• Presiding officer in the House and its most most powerful leader

• Chosen at beginning of each session by closed meeting of majority party members

• Always belongs to majority party

• Decides who gets to debate first

• Appoints majority party members of committees

• Schedules bills for action• Refers bills to proper

committee

The House of Representatives

• Majority Party Leader (Floor Leader)

• Steny Hoyar (D) Speaker’s top assistant Elected by majority party Steers important bills

through the House Makes sure committee

chairpersons finish work on bills important to party

The House of Representatives

• Minority Party Leader

• John Boehner Chosen by minority

party Carries out same

duties as Majority Party Leader among the minority party

Organizes opposition to the majority party

The House of Representatives

• Majority Whip• James E Clyburn

(D) Term “whip” comes from

“whipper in” (british term; person who keeps the foxhounds in a pack during a hunt)

Assistant Floor Leader for majority party

Job is keep track of how majority party members intend to vote and persuade them to vote as the party wishes

House of Representatives

• Minority Party Whip

• Eric Cantor (R-VA) Assistant Floor

Leader for minority party

Carries out same duties as Majority Party Whip among the minority party

House of Representatives – House Committees

• Committee on Agriculture

• Committee on Appropriations

• Committee on Armed Services

• Committee on the Budget

• Committee on Education and the Workforce

• Committee on Energy and Commerce

• Committee on Financial Services

• Committee on Government Reform

• Committee on Homeland Security

• Committee on House Administration

• Committee on International Relations

• Committee on the Judiciary

• Committee on Resources

• Committee on Rules

• Committee on Science

• Committee on Small Business

• Committee on Standards of Official Conduct

• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

• Committee on Veterans' Affairs

• Committee on Ways and Means

• Joint Economic Committee

• Joint Committee on Printing and Library

• Joint Committee on Taxation

• House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

• Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina

House of Representatives3 Major Committees

• House Rules Committee Regulates the time of floor debate in the House of Rep. for each bill and

sets limitations on floor amendments (additions to the bills) Open Rule: Amendments will be accepted from all members of House Closed Rule: Amendments not allowed or only allowed from members of

committee that worked on bill

House of Representatives:3 Major Committees

• House Ways and Means Committee Oldest standing committee in Congress (1789) Deals with matters and legislation concerning economic

policy, international trade, welfare, Social Security, Medicare, and health care policy

The House of Representatives3 Major Committees

• House Appropriations Committee In charge of deciding how to spend U.S. government money

**These 3 Committees are seen as the most influential and have the most sought after membership**

** Members of these committees cannot be on any other House Standing Committee**