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Discover the basics of the legislative branch, from sessions and special meetings to the structure of the House and Senate, with insights into membership requirements, elections, demographics, and privileges.
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Congress: The Legislative Branch
Basic Information • Since you get new Representatives every 2 years, we call each 2 year period a “term” of Congress • The terms are numbered consecutively… the one that ended Dec. 2008 was the 110th Congress • The one that is in session now is called the 112th Congress
Basic Information • A session of Congress is the time during which Congress assembles and conducts business • So how many sessions are there in a term of Congress? Two!
Basic Information • Special session is a meeting to deal with some emergency situation (only 27 special sessions in history) • Only the President can call Congress into a special session • In case you care: Most recent special session in 1948 by Pres. Harry Truman after WWII
Bicameral Congress • Our Congress is bicameral, meaning it has two houses • The larger house, which is supposedly the “common man’s house,” is the House of Representatives • The smaller house, which is for “the elite” of America is the Senate
Founding Fathers’ Intent • The Founding Fathers wanted to have one house that would quickly respond to the desires of the public (House of Reps) • And one house that would be moderate, and stop any crazy nonsense the House would try (Senate)
Members of the House of Representatives • Official title is “Representative (last name) • Also called “congressman” • 435 members of the “House” • Elected to 2 year term
What Does it Take to be in the House? 25 years old U.S. citizen for at least 7 years Must live in the state you are elected The realities of politics also require some informal qualifications, such as party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics, and political experience
The House of Representatives House of Reps.
Members of the Senate • Official title is “Senator (last name)” • 100 Senators (2 from each state) • Senators are elected to 6 year term • The Senate is a continuous body, meaning that all of its seats are never up for election at the same time.
What Does it Take to be in the Senate? • 30 Years Old • U.S. Citizen for 9 Years • Must live in the state you are elected in
The Senate The Senate
Seats in the House • Seats are apportioned (given out) to each state based on population • Every 10 years seats are reapportioned after the census, when a new count of the population is taken • Ever since 1929, the number has been 435 (Reapportionment Act)
Seats in the House • Every state divides itself into districts based on the number of seats apportioned to the state • For example, Arizona is given 8 seats based on our population
Our Reps • Flake, Jeff, Arizona, 6th • Franks, Trent, Arizona, 2nd • Giffords, Gabrielle, Arizona, 8th • Grijalva, Raul, Arizona, 7th • Kirkpatrick, Ann, Arizona, 1st • Schweikart, David., Arizona, 5th • Pastor, Ed, Arizona, 4th • Shadegg, John, Arizona, 3rd
Districts and Gerrymandering • Under the single-member districtarrangement, the voter’s in each district elect one of the State’s representatives. • Districts that have unusual shapes or even defy description have sometimes been gerrymandered. • Gerrymandering refers to the act of drawing congressional districts to the advantage of the political party that controls the State legislature.
Congressional Elections • Congressional elections are held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. • Off-year elections are those congressional elections held between presidential elections. • President’s party usually loses seats in Congress (2002, 2006, 2010)
Demographics of Congress • Congress is not at all demographically representative of the U.S. population • For example…
Compensation • Senators and Representatives are paid $174,000 a year. Speaker of the House and the Senate’s president pro tem, are paid more. • The franking privilege allows members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free by substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for the postage. • The Constitution says that Congress fixes its own “compensation.” Therefore, the only real limits to congressional pay are the President’s veto and fear of voter backlash against a pay increase.
Membership Privileges • Members of Congress are immune from arrest for noncriminal offenses while engaged in congressional business. • More importantly, the Speech and Debate Clause (Article I, Section 6, Clause 1) protects representatives and senators from suits for libel or slander arising from their official conduct.
