LEGISLATIVE BRANCH ARTICLE I U S CONSTITUTION Role
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH ARTICLE I: U. S. CONSTITUTION Role: “MAKING THE LAWS BY TRANSFERRING THE PUBLIC WILL INTO PUBLIC POLICY”
CHECKS & BALANCES n CONGRESS’ POWERS OVER EXECUTIVE n SENATE n APPROVES EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS n Secretary of State, Cabinet Seats, Court Appointments APPROVES TREATIES (2/3’s) n OVERRIDE VETO (2/3’s of Each House) n n IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT / V. P. n n n POWER OF THE PURSE n n House – Impeach (Andrew Johnson / Bill Clinton) Senate – Hold Trial over Their Removal President wants a $3. 999 Trillion Budget (Show me the $) OVERSIGHT FUNCTION n Looking over program they spend money on.
CHECKS & BALANCES CONGRESS’ POWER OVER JUDICIAL n CREATION OF LOWER COURTS Constitution only creates Supreme Court. n Congress sets up others (Fed District Courts & Court of Appeals) n n IMPEACHMENT OF JUDGES n n Only 1 Supreme Court Judge ever impeached. APPROVAL OF JUDGES n Keeps Courts from being “out-of-touch” with American Ideals.
NATIONAL LEGISLATURE • REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT – Federal Elections held on EVEN #’d Years… ’ 10, ‘ 12 • BICAMERAL (Two Chambers) – “Tea Cup & Saucer” Thos. Jefferson & Washington • TERMS & SESSIONS OF CONGRESS – 114 th Term of Congress • Starts 1/3/15 - Ends 1/3/17 – Constitution Requirement Meet Minimum Once • Since WWII they meet YEAR ROUND – SPECIAL SESSIONS • President can call Congress back if emergency.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES n ALL STATES GUARANTEED AT LEAST ONE REPRESENTATIVE. – D. C IS NOT A STATE. Does not have a voting member. n FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS – – – 25 YEARS OLD 7 YEAR Citizen RESIDENT OF THE STATE § There’s Nothing in Constitution about Congressional Districts n SIZE & TERM – 435 MEMBERS—DETERMINED BY CENSUS – 2 YEAR TERM (Matches the terms of Congress) § All 435 members are elected at once.
SENATE n A Continuous Body…. FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS n n n 30 YEARS OLD 9 YEAR Citizen RESIDENT OF THE STATE n n SIZE & TERM (Less People/Longer Terms) n n 2 PER STATE---100 TOTAL 6 YEAR TERM (Saucer to cool the Tea) n n 1/3 up for election every 2 years- Staggered Terms ELECTIONS & 17 TH AMENDMENT n n n Hillary Clinton & Alan Keyes Originally chosen by State Legislators During Progressive Era – changed to direct election. Less Rules Regarding Floor Debate n Filibusters- Like Mr. Smith did in the Movie
Informal Qualifications § Average Congressman § White § Wealthy § Christian § Married…. etc § Times changing?
Congressional Make-up Comparison § 1992 Senate had 2 women & 98 men. – One woman was African American – They were the only diversity in the Senate. § 2011 (112 th Congress) – 73 Women in the House – 15 in the Senate – 0 African Americans Senate – 44 African Americans in House § Stop-n-Write: The U. S. House diversified back in the 1960’s and the Senate is still predominantly white men. Why? § Think about last unit and state-wide election v. district elections
Congressional Apportionment § Constitutional Guidelines § After 1910 Census we went to 435 Reps. § Reapportionment Act 1929 – U. S. Population grew by 25% from 1910 -1930 – Permanently set # of House seats at 435. – Wyoming Rule 2000’s § Has impact on Electoral College § Know some examples of Redistribution § Census 2000 & 2010 (Utah & N. C. )
Redistribution Process § Step-by-step Process – Census - Count all the people § 1790 About 5 million people § 2010 Over 311 million people – Federal Role in Redistribution § Decide how many representatives each state gets. – Every State gets at least one (WY, MT, ND, SD, DE, VT, AL) – State Role in Redistribution § State Legislators decide how the lines are drawn. – TEXAS – Tom Delay (Mid-Decade Redraw)
Redistricting to your advantage • Gerrymandering • “Politicians picking voters over voters picking politicians” • STOP-N-WRITE - Explain this statement • Cracking & Packing • Gerrymandering Activity • Malapportionment • Austrailia Example / Tennessee Example • Wesberry v. Sanders 1964 • “One man, one vote” • A Districts Population should be within 1% of another’s population.
Role of a Legislator n. Trustee n. Partisan n. Delegate n. Politico
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP n U. S. HOUSE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE (Most powerful) n MAJORITY / MINORITY LEADERSHIP n Majority and Minority Whips n n U. S. SENATE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE – Vice President n PRESIDENT PRO TEMP- Senior member Majority n Party MAJORITY (Most powerful) n MINORITY LEADERSHIP n
Current Leadership - Senate Majority vs. Minority (54 -44 -2) President of the Senate: Joe Biden Also breaks a tie President Pro Tempore: Orin Hatch [‘ 77] Longest serving member of the majority party Majority leader: Mitch Mc. Connell (R-KY) Majority whip: John Cornyn (R-TX) Minority leader: Harry Reid (D-NV) Minority whip: Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Current Leadership - House Majority vs. Minority (234 -201) n n n Speaker of the House: Paul Ryan (R-WI) Majority leader in the House: Kevin Mc. Carthy (R -CA) Majority whip in the House: Steve Scalise (R-LA) Minority leader in the House: Nancy Pelosi (DCA) Minority whip in the House: Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
“WHERE ALL THE WORK GETS DONE” Ø CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES Ø STANDING COMMITTEES l Permanent Committees • Ex: Senate Agriculture Committee Ø MAKE-UP OF COMMITTEES l l Majority Party gets more Committee seats than the Minority. Example: In 2008 the… • Democrats Controlled the Senate 55 -45 • Senate Agriculture Com. had 21 Senators l l l 11 Democrats – 10 Republicans Chairperson – Stabenow (D) - (Chosen by Seniority) Ranking Member – (R)
Powers of Congress n Article I. Section 8 U. S. Constitution – Strict vs. Liberal Constructionist n Expressed Powers- Specifically Listed in Constitution n Examples of some of them- – Tax – Borrow – Foreign relations - Regulate Commerce - Bankruptcy - Declare War
Powers of Congress continued § Implied Powers – Necessary and Proper Clause – Elastic Clause § Mc. Culloch v. Maryland 1819 – S. C. rules that Congress’s Implied Powers are Broad. § Tax, Coin Money, Spend, etc… § Civil Rights Act 1964 – Commerce- Regulate Interstate Trade § goods that travel over state lines. – Standard American Meal Example. § Non Legislative Powers – – Amendments (2/3’s of each House – 3/4 of States) Executive Elections (No Majority in Electoral Vote – House Decides) Impeachment (Already Covered)
Legislative Terms • FILIBUSTER • • Talk a bill to death. Standing/Talking Objective: Prevent / Delay Action on a bill. Strom Thurmond (24 hrs 18 minutes) Cloture Vote (60) • EMINENT DOMAIN • Take Private Property for Public Use • CONSTITUENT • Person represented by a Congressperson. • Pigeonhole
5 th Amendment: Eminent Domain “…. nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. ”
Posts from Friends and Groups Mari Manning at Michigan House Office Building. March 7 · Instagram · Officially official! This girl is the new Constituent Relations Director for State Representative Gretchen Driskell
How a Bill Becomes a Law Terms • JUNKET – Trip to location regarding the proposed Bill. • MARKUP SESSION – An editting session in a Committee. • RIDER – A small bill that is attached to a larger bill. • M 14 Viaduct – Lynn Rivers 1990’s • Lake Champlain is a “New Great Lake”
- Slides: 25