Constitutional Analysis What is Congress and why is

Constitutional Analysis What is Congress and why is it there? Read Article 1 of the US Constitution. Summarise the role and purpose of Congress in 4 bullet points. • • *not a list of powers! Sets up a bicameral legislature President mentioned as a check on Congress Details how House and Senate to be set up Article 1 Section 8 – Interstate Commerce Clause (excuse to interfere? ) and ‘elastic clause’ (left open possibility to legislate on important issues)

Enquiry Question: What is the structure and role of Congress?

Learning Outcomes • To explain the bicameral structure of Congress • To analyse the roles of Congress

The Importance of Congress • When the USA broke away from the UK in 1776, the first system of government consisted only of a legislature. • The Articles of Confederation provided America with no executive or judiciary because it was through that policies should be decided collectively and then implemented by the 13 individual states. • This was intended to ensure that no monarch-like figure could emerge. • This system of government proved inadequate to meet the challenges facing the young country and was replaced by the current system devised at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787. • However, even in the revised system, there was an intention that policy would be made collectively to avoid the emergence of a monarch-like figure. • Congress was therefore expected to be the most important and most powerful branch of government.

The Importance of Congress The Legislative Branch • General legislation was the responsibility of both houses, with each having the ability to put forward legislative proposals and with each separately examining those proposals. • The executive branch, not the legislative branch, was expected to take the lead in foreign affairs. • Apart from that, its only role was to implement the decisions of Congress.

The US Congress is a bicameral legislature which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. Questions Watch the video clip! • Why is Congress bicameral? • What does bicameral mean? • What are the Senate and House of Representatives are for? • Outline a brief history of the institutions.

Constitutional Analysis Constitutional Requirements for Membership of Congress READ ARTICLE 1 • What constitutional requirements are there for a Senator? • What constitutional requirements are there for a member of the House of Representatives? • Why are these in place? • Is there any reason (you can think of) why the requirements may be different?

House of Representatives Senate 435 members 100 members Elected for 2 year terms Elected for 6 year term Elections of whole House every 2 years Elections of 1/3 of Senate every 2 years Need to be 25 years old + Need to be 30 years old + Need to be a citizen of the US for 7 years + for 9 years + Need to be a resident in the state for which they are standing

Learning Outcomes • To explain the bicameral structure of Congress • To analyse the roles of Congress

What does Congress do? Studying a diagram YOUR TASK: • Look at the diagram. • You will be split into four groups. • One person in each group will be the reporter, a second will take notes, and a third will write your group's responses on each worksheet. • Work collaboratively to fill out “Studying the Diagram (Worksheet)” and prepare to report their responses to the rest of the class. • Each group will then share their responses.

What does Congress do? How does Congress fulfil its roles? YOUR TASK: • There will now be 20 game pieces distributed to randomly selected students. • Work collaboratively as a whole class to identify the best match of each game piece to a location on the perimeter of the diagram. Hint: The single letters printed on each game piece will spell out a three word phrase when all the game pieces have been correctly placed.

What does Congress do? Analysing Functions of Congress YOUR TASK: • Return to your original four groups. • You will be assigned one quadrant of the filled-in diagram your group. • Use “Analysing the Diagram (Worksheet)” to analyse your assigned quadrant of the board, and prepare to report back your responses to the class. • Each reporter will share their group's results.

What does Congress do? Analysing Primary Source Documents YOUR TASK: • Working in pairs, you will be given one of 20 documents and the corresponding miniature • Complete “Analysing Primary Source Documents (Worksheet)” to analyse your document. • Place the miniature version of the document on the game piece containing the action of Congress that it most closely matches. • You will then explain to the class the placement of it on the diagram.

What does Congress do? Analysing Primary Source Documents YOUR TASK: • Return to your original four groups. • Work collaboratively to answer the questions on “Reflection Questions (Worksheet)” • Each group's reporter will share their results with the class.

Learning Outcomes • To explain the bicameral structure of Congress • To analyse the roles of Congress

There are 100 senators, 2 from each of the 50 states. Use the post-its to work together as a class to identify all 50.

Homework Application Task: N/A Flipped Learning Preparation Task: Functions and Structure of Power in Congress (Mc. Kay p 183 -193) Stretch & Challenge Task The Role of Congress in American Society