CHAPTER 5 STRUCTURE OF CONGRESS Lesson 1 Congressional

  • Slides: 54
Download presentation
CHAPTER 5 STRUCTURE OF CONGRESS

CHAPTER 5 STRUCTURE OF CONGRESS

Lesson 1: Congressional Membership ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the structure and organization of Congress?

Lesson 1: Congressional Membership ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the structure and organization of Congress?

Organization of Congress • Founders gave more power to Congress than to any other

Organization of Congress • Founders gave more power to Congress than to any other branch. • Article I of the U. S. Constitution – legislative body • Bi-cameral Legislature – two different houses • Senate • House of Representatives

Organization of Congress • SENATE • Serve 6 year terms; represent the entire state

Organization of Congress • SENATE • Serve 6 year terms; represent the entire state • Smaller number of Senators (100 – 2 per state) • Gives more power to minority • Less restrictive • HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES • Serve 2 year terms; represent districts • Larger number of Representatives (435 – population) • Gives more power to the majority • Limits debates

Organization of Congress • Congressional Sessions: • • Each term of Congress begins on

Organization of Congress • Congressional Sessions: • • Each term of Congress begins on January 3 in odd number years Lasts for 2 years (term) Divided up into two (2) sessions – or meetings. Neither house can adjourn for more than three (3) days without the approval of the other house.

Membership of the House • House – 435 members • Seats are apportioned, or

Membership of the House • House – 435 members • Seats are apportioned, or divided, bases on population • Each state has at least one seat • Qualifications and Term of Office • At least 25 years old • Be a citizen of the United States for at least seven (7) years • Be legal resident of the state that elects them • All 435 members are reelected every two (2) years

9 ASIAN-AMERICANS 44 AFRICAN-AMERICANS 31 HISPANICS 2 NATIVE-

9 ASIAN-AMERICANS 44 AFRICAN-AMERICANS 31 HISPANICS 2 NATIVE-

Membership of the House • Representation and Reapportionment • National census, or population count,

Membership of the House • Representation and Reapportionment • National census, or population count, taken every ten (10) years • State’s population determines the number of representatives – a process called reapportionment • Congressional Redistricting • Each state legislature draws the congressional districts • Representatives are elected from these districts • Redrawing district lines after reapportionment is called redistricting • Gerrymandering – redrawing district lines to benefit one political party

CONGRESSIONAL REAPPORTIONMENT (2010)

CONGRESSIONAL REAPPORTIONMENT (2010)

Redistricting Cases • Tennessee • Baker v. Carr (1962) – Supreme Court held that

Redistricting Cases • Tennessee • Baker v. Carr (1962) – Supreme Court held that federal courts could decide conflicts over drawing district boundaries • Alabama • Reynolds v. Sims (1964) – required that seats in both houses of the state legislature be apportioned on a population basis • Georgia • Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) – ruled that a vote in one congressional district is worth as much as a vote in

Gerrymandering • Term is traced to Elbridge Gerry, an early Massachusetts governor who singed

Gerrymandering • Term is traced to Elbridge Gerry, an early Massachusetts governor who singed a redistricting plan that gave his party an advantage over the Federalists. • “Packing” and “Cracking” • Packing a district means drawing the lines so they include as many of the opposing party’s votes as possible • Crowding the opposition’s voters into one district makes the remaining districts safe for the majority party’s candidates • Cracking means dividing an opponent’s voters into other districts to weaken his/her voter base

Membership of the Senate • Qualifications and Term of Office • Must be at

Membership of the Senate • Qualifications and Term of Office • Must be at least thirty (30) years old • Citizen of the United States for nine (9) years • Legal residents of the state they represent • Elected at-large, or statewide – no particular district • One-third (1/3) of senators are reelected every two years • Salary and Benefits - $174, 000 per year salary • 27 th Amendment – Congress cannot give itself a pay raise; the raise become effective only after another elections • Franking privilege; staff; trips home; medical clinic

1 ASIAN-AMERICAN 2 AFRICAN-AMERICANS 3 HISPANICS

1 ASIAN-AMERICAN 2 AFRICAN-AMERICANS 3 HISPANICS

Membership of the House • Privileges of Members • Free from arrest when they

Membership of the House • Privileges of Members • Free from arrest when they are attending Congress or on the to or from Congress • Cannot be sued for anything they say on the House or Senate floor. • Each house may punish its own members for disorderly behavior by a majority vote and expel a legislator by a two-thirds vote. • May censure, formal disapproval of a member’s actions

The Members of Congress 535 voting members – 100 senators and 434 representatives •

The Members of Congress 535 voting members – 100 senators and 434 representatives • Non-voting member - 5 delegates in the House – District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Marianas, and the Virgin Islands; 1 resident commission from Puerto Rico • Characteristics • Mostly lawyers; white, middle-aged males • Increases number of women and minorities • • Reelection to Congress • Incumbents – members who are already in office

Twitter and Congress Elected officials strive to stay current with trends in technology, especially

Twitter and Congress Elected officials strive to stay current with trends in technology, especially when those tools help them communicate with their constituents, potential donors, and voters. Analyze the Twitter communications of a congressional representative. The address is likely to being https: //twitter. com/ followed by that person’s name. Then answer the questions on PAGE 140 in the Government Textbook. 1. What do the most recent 20 tweets tell you about the representative? 2. Are the tweet interesting to you? Would you follow this representative if you also had a Twitter account? 3. What could this representative do to make his or her tweets more compelling to people like you? What can elected officials say in 140 characters that is meaningful? 4. Do voters need special skills to interpret this kind of brief but nearly continual contact?

Chapter 5, Lesson 1 Activity – complete questions on handout

Chapter 5, Lesson 1 Activity – complete questions on handout

Lesson 2: The House of Representatives ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the structure and organization

Lesson 2: The House of Representatives ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the structure and organization of Congress?

Rules in the House • Article I, Section 51 – each House may determine

Rules in the House • Article I, Section 51 – each House may determine its own rules and proceedings • Complex Rules – defines individual actions • Limiting speaking for five minutes or less during debate • Tries to move legislation quickly • Leaders have more power in the House • Committee Work – perform most legislative activity • More important due to size • Serve on committees that are important to their constituents, or the people they represent

Rules in the House • Importance of Party Affiliation: • • Republicans and Democrats

Rules in the House • Importance of Party Affiliation: • • Republicans and Democrats sit on opposite sides Majority party decides legislative action Majority selects leaders Majority appoints committee chairs

House Leadership • • • Organizing and unifying party members Scheduling work Making certain

House Leadership • • • Organizing and unifying party members Scheduling work Making certain that lawmakers are present for key floor votes Distributing and collecting information Keeping the House in touch with the president Influencing lawmakers to support their party’s positions • The Speaker of the House – presiding officer • Most powerful leader • Chosen by a caucus, or closed meeting, of the majority party

House Leadership • House Floor Leaders • Majority Leader – Speaker’s top assistant &

House Leadership • House Floor Leaders • Majority Leader – Speaker’s top assistant & Floor Leader • Help plan party’s legislative program • Steer important bills through the House • Make sure the chairpersons finish work on important bills • Whips – helps the majority leader • Watch how majority-party members intend to vote on bills • Persuade them to vote as the party wishes • To see that party members are present to vote

Lawmaking in the House • The House is normally in session from Monday through

Lawmaking in the House • The House is normally in session from Monday through Friday but most work is done from Tuesday through Thursday • • • All laws start as bills – or proposed laws Representatives drop bills in the hopper Speaker then sends bill to appropriate committee for study, discussion, and review Only about 10 to 20 percent of bills make it to the floor for a vote Bills that survive the committee process are placed on the House calendars. • •

Lawmaking in the House (cont. ) • The House Rules Committee • Very powerful;

Lawmaking in the House (cont. ) • The House Rules Committee • Very powerful; considered the “traffic officer” • Can move bills quickly, hold them back, or stop them completely • Can say how long a bill can be debated or revised • Settles disputes among other House committees, especially when they have concurrent jurisdiction • Often delays or blocks bills that representatives and House leaders do not want to come to a vote on the floor • Quorum – minimum number of members needed for official legislative action (218 members); • Committee of the whole = 100 members

Chapter 5, Lesson 2 activity – complete questions on handout

Chapter 5, Lesson 2 activity – complete questions on handout

Lesson 3: The Senate ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the structure and organization of Congress?

Lesson 3: The Senate ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the structure and organization of Congress?

The Senate at Work • All states are equal in the Senate (each has

The Senate at Work • All states are equal in the Senate (each has two senators) • Often called a deliberative body because it formally discusses public policies. • Senate chamber is smaller with 100 desks • Rules are more flexible • Usually allows for unlimited debate on bills

Leadership in the Senate Vice President presides over the Senate but cannot vote except

Leadership in the Senate Vice President presides over the Senate but cannot vote except to break a tie. • Senate party leaders do not have as much influence • The president pro tempore – “for the time being” • Presides over Senate most of the time • From majority party with most seniority • Majority and Minority Leaders • Steer bills through the Senate • Makes sure party members attend important sessions • Gets support for key bills • Whips and assistant whips make sure legislators are present in the chamber when key votes come up •

Lawmaking in the Senate • • • Supermajority (2/3 vote) to approve treaties, overturn

Lawmaking in the Senate • • • Supermajority (2/3 vote) to approve treaties, overturn presidential vetoes, and remove federal officials from office if they have been impeached in the House 50 senators plus 1 to pass a proposed bill (simple majority) Procedures are less formal than in the House No need for a Rules Committee Only has two (2) calendars: • Calendar of General Orders – lists bills to consider • Executive Calendar – schedules treaties & nominations

Lawmaking in the Senate • Unanimous Consent • A motion by all members present

Lawmaking in the Senate • Unanimous Consent • A motion by all members present to set aside formal rules and consider a bill from the calendar • Senators can place holds on a bill and object • The Filibuster • Many important bills need sixty senator to pass • Tactic used by senators to prevent a bill from coming to a final vote • “talk the bill to death” using unlimited debate and speaking continuously • Cloture resolution can end a filibuster (60 votes needed)

Interpreting Political Cartoons 1. What do the expressions on the faces of the audience

Interpreting Political Cartoons 1. What do the expressions on the faces of the audience suggest about the speaker? 2. What will happen if rain comes from the cloud?

FILIBUSTER VIDEO

FILIBUSTER VIDEO

Chapter 5, Lesson 3 activity – complete questions on handout

Chapter 5, Lesson 3 activity – complete questions on handout

Lesson 4: Congressional Committees ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the structure and organization of Congress?

Lesson 4: Congressional Committees ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the structure and organization of Congress?

Purpose of Committees • • • Where most of the real work on bills

Purpose of Committees • • • Where most of the real work on bills takes place Members hear testimony from experts Propose amendments Vote on whether to send the bill to the full House or Senate Help ease the workload 1. Allows members to divide their work among smaller groups 2. Select the bills that are to receive further consideration 3. Help the public learn about key problems and issues facing the nation

Kinds of Committees • There are FOUR (4) basic kinds of committees: 1. Standing

Kinds of Committees • There are FOUR (4) basic kinds of committees: 1. Standing Committees 2. Select Committees 3. Joint Committees 4. Conference Committees

Kinds of Committees (cont. ) • • • Standing Committees – continue from one

Kinds of Committees (cont. ) • • • Standing Committees – continue from one legislative session to the next Permanent committees to oversee bills that deal with certain kinds of issues Controlled by the majority party • Subcommittees – specializes in a subcategory of its standing committee’s responsibility • Ex. Appropriations (12 subcommittees); Armed Services (7 subcommittees); Oversight and Government Reform

Kinds of Committees (cont. ) • Select Committees – temporary committees • Study one

Kinds of Committees (cont. ) • Select Committees – temporary committees • Study one specific issue and report their findings to the Senate or the House • Lasts no more than one term of Congress • Ex. Permanent Select Intelligence Committee • Joint Committees – made up of members from both the House and the Senate • Can be temporary or permanent • Acts a study group to report findings • Do not have the authority to deal directly with bills or to propose laws to Congress

Kinds of Committees (cont. ) • Conference Committees – temporary committee • Set up

Kinds of Committees (cont. ) • Conference Committees – temporary committee • Set up when the House and Senate have passed different versions of a bill • Resolves differences between the two versions of the bill • Conferees must accept the final compromise bill called a conference report before sending it to the floor of the House and Senate • Can then send the one final bill to the president

Choosing Committee Members Assignment to Committees • Increase member’s chance of reelection • Influence

Choosing Committee Members Assignment to Committees • Increase member’s chance of reelection • Influence national policies • Influence other members • Parties have the job of assigning members to committees • Role of the Committee Chair • Make key decisions about the work of committees • Decide when hearings will be held • Manage floor debates • Seniority System – majority party member with the longest uninterrupted service appointed leader •

Lesson 5: Staff and Support Agencies ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the structure and organization

Lesson 5: Staff and Support Agencies ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the structure and organization of Congress?

Chapter 5, Lesson 4 activity – complete questions on handout

Chapter 5, Lesson 4 activity – complete questions on handout

Congressional Staff Role • Lawmakers rely on their staffs to… • • • help

Congressional Staff Role • Lawmakers rely on their staffs to… • • • help them handle the workload of Congress communicate with voters. run committee hearings and floor sessions. draft new bills. write committee reports. attend committee meetings. help members get reelected. help raise funds for political campaigns. meet with lobbyists and visitors from home.

Congressional Staff Growth • Congress has not always relied on staff to accomplish its

Congressional Staff Growth • Congress has not always relied on staff to accomplish its work. For almost 100 years, senators and representatives had no personal aides. • After the Legislative Reorganization Act in 1946, the number of personal staff members went from 2, 000 in 1947 to more than 10, 600 in 2009. • Congressional staffs grew because lawmakers could not be experts on all the issues that came before their committees or upon which they voted in Congress.

Personal Staff • Congress includes two types of staffs: • Personal staff members work

Personal Staff • Congress includes two types of staffs: • Personal staff members work directly for individual senators and representatives. Committee staff members work for the many House and Senate committees. • • • Senators receive a yearly budget to operate their offices and to pay staff salaries. Each member of the House has an allowance to pay for a personal staff that includes administrative assistants, legislative assistants, and caseworkers.

Personal Staff (cont. ) Administative assistants – called the AA • Serves as chief

Personal Staff (cont. ) Administative assistants – called the AA • Serves as chief of staff; runs the lawmaker’s office; supervises the lawmaker’s schedule; gives advice on political matters • deals with influential people from the lawmaker’s congressional district or state. • Legislative Directors – establishes the legislative agenda and briefs the lawmaker on all legislative matters • Legislative Assistants - make certain that the lawmaker is well informed about the many bills with which she or he must deal; do research, draft bills, and study bills currently in Congress; write speeches and articles for the •

Personal Staff (cont. ) Press Secretaries – communications director • Draft press releases for

Personal Staff (cont. ) Press Secretaries – communications director • Draft press releases for media; schedule press conferences; answer questions from the media • Assists with websites, blogs, tweets, and videos • Help shape the lawmaker’s public images, publicize their policy positions, and help citizens follow their legislative activities • Caseworkers • handle the many requests for help from people in a lawmaker’s state or congressional district. • usually staff the home district offices of the lawmaker. •

Committee Staff • Every committee and subcommittee in Congress has staff members who work

Committee Staff • Every committee and subcommittee in Congress has staff members who work for that committee. • Committee staffers draft bills, study issues, collect information, plan committee hearings, write memos, and prepare committee reports. • Some senior committee staff members are experts in the area their committee covers.

Support Agencies • • The Library of Congress • is one of the largest

Support Agencies • • The Library of Congress • is one of the largest libraries in the world with more than 100 million items. • is the administrator of the copyright law. • has a Congressional Research Service (CRS) that answers thousands of requests for information from lawmakers, congressional staff, and committees. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) – established in 1947 • coordinate the budget-making work of Congress. • study the budget proposals put forward by the president each year. • make cost projections of proposed new programs. General Accounting Office (GAO)- the nation’s watchdog over the spending of funds Congress appropriates. • reviews the financial management of government programs that Congress creates. Government Printing Office (GPO) - does the printing for the entire federal government and prints the Congressional Record