ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS Structure of Congress House of

ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS

Structure of Congress House of Representatives Senate Total Number of Members Number per state Membership Based On Members Represent Term of Office Age Requirement Citizenship Requirement • All money bills must start here • Closer to the people • More formal & impersonal Unique Characteristics • Emphasizes foreign policy • Smaller; more deliberative • More informal and personal

Does Congress represent “We the People”?

Demographics th 114 Congress

114 th Congress Demographics

114 th Congress Demographics

Does Congress Look Like America?

Terms & Sessions µ Each term of Congress begins on _________ of _______ numbered years and lasts for ______ years. µ Each term is divided into two sessions. Congress remains in session until its members vote to _________. µ If Congress is adjourned, the _____________ may call it back for a special session if necessary.

Salaries & Benefits µ Who determines the salary of µ What is the current salary for members of Congress members? Congress? o Congress o $174, 000 (can be adjusted for inflation) µ 27 th Amendment: o Forbids Congress from µ Franking Privilege: giving itself a raise o Free postage for o Any salary increase takes “official” business effect after the next µ Other Benefits: Congressional election o Staff , Insurance and

Privileges µ Cannot be arrested while carrying out legislative duties (except for treason or felonies!) µ Cannot be sued for things they say on the floor µ Expulsion – remove a member with 2/3 vote µ Punish its own members for misbehavior µ Censure – vote formal disapproval of a members’ actions

Re-Election to Congress µ About ______% of incumbents win re-election. What is an incumbent? o A current member of Congress µ Why are they successful? o Name recognition – known by voters o Easier to raise $ / campaign funds o Casework – help solve constituent problems

The Redistricting Game Where do we draw the line?

A school just ordered 30 new computers for Ms. Johnson’s and Mr. Smith’s classrooms. Ms. Johnson’s class consists of 30 students, while Mr. Smith has 15 students in his class. You’re the principal. Who should get the most computers? Why? What would be a fair way to distribute the computers?

Reapportionment & Redistricting

Step 1: Count the Population • In order to assign representation in the House according to population, a census is conducted every 10 years. • Based on this count, seats are “handed out” to the states.

Step 2: Apportion the Seats • Apportionment / Reapportionment –What does it mean: dividing the seats in the House among the states based on their population count (census) –The Reapportionment Act of 1929 limited the number of members in the House to 435 representatives.

Reapportionment 2010

Step 3: Redistricting • What is redistricting? – Process of setting up new district lines after reapportionment • Who draws or sets up a state’s Congressional districts? –State legislatures

Standards used to Draw Districts • Compact – Close together • Contiguous – Touching • “one person, one vote” • districts must be the same size • include the same number of people

Ran k State or territory Population estimate for July 1, 2014 Seats in U. S. House, 2013– 2023 2014 Estimated pop. per House seat 2000 Census pop. per House seat Percent of total U. S. pop. , 2014[5] 1 California 38, 802, 500 53 732, 123 639, 088 12. 17% 2 Texas 26, 958 36 748, 804 651, 619 8. 45% 3 Florida 19, 893, 297 27 736, 789 639, 295 6. 24% 4 New York 19, 746, 227 27 731, 342 654, 361 6. 19% 5 Illinois 12, 880, 580 18 715, 588 653, 647 4. 04% 6 Pennsylvania 12, 787, 209 18 710, 401 646, 371 4. 01% 7 Ohio 11, 594, 163 16 724, 635 630, 730 3. 64% 8 Georgia 10, 097, 343 14 721, 239 629, 727 3. 17% 9 North Carolina 9, 943, 964 13 764, 920 619, 178 3. 12% 10 Michigan 9, 909, 877 14 707, 848 662, 563 3. 11% — Puerto Rico 3, 548, 397 [6] — — 1. 11% 48 Alaska 736, 732 1 736, 732 626, 932 0. 23% — District of Columbia 658, 893 [6] — — 0. 21% 49 Vermont 626, 562 1 626, 562 608, 827 0. 20% 50 Wyoming 584, 153 1 584, 153 493, 782 0. 18%

These are Georgia’s Congressional Districts Georgia has 14 Districts (we gained a seat as a result of the 2010 census)

Our Congressional District #14

GEORGIA: Then & Now

You Try It! • Welcome to Raider. Land! Raider. Land • You and your partners have been hired to examine the congressional districts or boundaries of Raider. Land – a fictitious state with only three districts. • Raider. Land has two political parties: – Gray Party – White Party

Raider. Land • Three Congressional districts were formed with vertical lines marking the district boundaries. • In each district, the White Party has a majority of votes. • Nice for the White Party, but not an accurate representation of the Gray Party voting population in the state. – Gray party = 1/3 of the voters – White Party = 2/3 of the voters

Raider. Land – Map A • You and your team are part of a redistricting commission assigned to redraw district boundary lines to be more representative of the voting population in the state. • Your Task: – create three new districts with five blocks in each – ONE district, the Gray Party = one district with a majority of blocks – TWO districts where White Party is the majority

Raider. Land – Map B • You and your team are now all members of the Gray Party. You have been put in charge of redrawing the district boundaries. • You could redraw the district boundary lines in such a way as to create Gray Party majorities in two of the three districts. • Your Task: – create three new districts with five blocks in each

Consider This… • What just happened in this activity? • Who benefitted and who did not? • What are the potential consequences of this type of redistricting procedure? • How might different segments of society be positively and negatively affected by this procedure?

Gerrymandering How to Divide and Conquer Your Enemy

Redistricting Song

What is Gerrymandering? • Drawing congressional district lines for a political purpose = to win elections! • Usually to advantage a political party or minority group

3 Districts Sun – 1 Moon - 2

3 Districts Sun – 2 Moon - 1

How Can You Gerrymander? µ Packing – Drawing district lines to include as many of the opposing party’s voters as possible µ Cracking – Dividing the opposing party’s voters into other districts to weaken its base µ Kidnapping – Moves an incumbent’s constituency out from under him/her

How Can You Gerrymander? µMajority-Minority Districts – Drawing districts to favor one minority group (racial or political)

What Do the Courts say?

Baker v. Carr (1962) • Used the 14 th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause to order state legislative districts to be equal as possible in population • Established “one man, one vote”

Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) • Ordered U. S. House of Representative districts to be as near in population as possible • extended “one man, one vote” requirement to the national gov’t

Gerrymander Georgia Are you a Bulldog or a Yellow Jacket?

Gerrymander Georgia • Each of the states contains 100 circles and rectangles. • Each state will be divided into 10 groups of 10. • There are 50 filled rectangles and 50 open circles in each state.

State A • Divide the state by counting out 10 circles and rectangles drawing a line. • When you have finished, go back and count how many of the 10 districts have a majority of filled rectangles, open circles, or are tied half and half. • Place your findings in the box.

State B • Your job is to get as many of the districts as you can with a majority of filled rectangles

State C • For States C and D you will be assigned to either – the Yellow Jackets (filled rectangles) – Bulldogs (open circles) • For State C, your team wins only if they have the majority of the districts.

Now It’s Your Turn • Congratulations! You are on a redistricting committee charged with creating a bill to divide the state of ABCville into districts. • Your main goals are to create districts that meet the following criteria: – Districts must have equal numbers of citizens. – All parts of the districts must touch. No free-standing parts of a district are allowed. – Don’t favor one group over another in individual districts.

ABCville Map 1 • Divide the state of ABCville into six districts. • Each district must contain: – the same number of citizens – the same number of supporters of each political party. • ABCville has a total population of 360, 000. – Each icon indicates a group of 10, 000 citizens. How many icons would create one district?

"It used to be that the idea was, once every two years voters elected their representatives, and now, instead, it's every ten years the representatives choose their constituents. " Pamela Karlan, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law at Stanford Law School

What would this look like in the Animal Kingdom?

Original gerrymander was created in 1812 by Mass. governor Elbridge Gerry, who crafted a district for political purposes that looked like a salamander

1. Packing - place as many voters of 1 type into a single district to reduce their influence in other districts.

2. Cracking - involves spreading out voters of a particular type among many districts in order to reduce their representation by denying them a sufficiently large voting block in any particular district.

Highway 106 “Toxic Spill” The Ghost Busters Fuzzy Earmuffs Road Kill Swamp Fever

The "Dangling Modifier" Arizona's 2 nd

"Ghost Busters" Georgia's 11 th Miller v. Johnson 1994 Supreme Court ruled this district unconstitutional since it’s borders were drawn with explicitly racial motives.

Don't Mess with Texas

Now Gerrymander ABCville • Congratulations! Your party has just gained control of the state legislature and you are on a redistricting committee. • Your main goal is to ensure your party wins a majority of seats in your state. • Task: Decide which party you want to represent and circle it in the key. Then create districts so that your party wins the majority. • are to create districts that meet the following criteria: – You must create 6 districts – You must abide by one man-one vote rule.

ABCville Map 1 • Divide the state of ABCville into six districts. • Each district must contain: – the same number of citizens – the same number of supporters of each political party. • ABCville has a total population of 360, 000. – Each icon indicates a group of 10, 000 citizens. How many icons would create one district?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Why is it important to divide districts equally? 2. Why does our democracy depend on fair/equal representation? 3. Why is the census important to the apportionment and redistricting process? 4. If a state’s population increased or decreased, what would be the effect on apportioning and redistricting?

Let’s Put the Pieces Together

Summarize It! Respond to the analogies below and explain the relationship between apportionment and redistricting. • Apportionment is like a parent with several needy children. • Redistricting is like a pizza maker.

My examples • Apportionment is like a parent with several needy children. – Seats in the House of Representatives are divided amongst the 50 states so that all may receive representation. The size of the state determines the number of representatives. – Parent must divide resources – food, allowance, toys, etc. – between children so that they all receive a fair share of the resources. The size/age of the child may determine the number of resources. • Redistricting is like a pizza maker. – The General Assembly divides the state into the number of districts apportioned by the census results. The goal is to have each district be as equal as possible. – The pizza maker makes the pizza with the number of toppings that are specified by the size of the pizza and divides it into sizes that are as equal as possible

YOUR TOPIC GOES HERE Summarizing Options: Have students write a paragraph explaining the connection between apportionment and redistricting. Students should include a clear description of the difference between the two terms. Have students create an analogy to explain

Gerrymandering Game µTomorrow you will be going to the computer lab to play the Gerrymandering Game. µClick the salamander on the right to preview what you will be doing.

Your Main Point Here • Your Sub Points Here

Printable Page • Your Text Here

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YOUR TOPIC GOES HERE YOUR SUBTOPIC GOES HERE

"It used to be that the idea was, once every two years voters elected their representatives, and now, instead, it's every ten years the representatives choose their constituents. " - Pamela Karlan, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law at Stanford Law School

YOUR TOPIC GOES HERE YOUR SUBTOPIC GOES HERE

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