Chapter 10

1. Chapter 10 Congress

2. Section 1The National Legislature Focus Question: What is the make up of Congress, the National Government’s legislative branch?

3. Congress • Makes the laws. • Constitution says that it will be bicameral – that is made up of two houses – the Senate and House of Representatives.

4. The Reason To give fair representation to both large and small states.

5. Senate Each State is represented equally and has equal power.

6. House of Representatives States with larger populations get more representation.

7. Term of Congress • The length of time its officials serve after their election. • Each term begins on January 3 of every odd-numbered year and lasts for two years.

8. Session • Congress holds one session or meeting period every year. • Each term has two sessions. • Congress can adjourn, or end, a session when it finishes its business.

9. Today • Congress meets almost year-round with several recesses or breaks. • The President has an as yet unused power to prorogue, or adjourn, a session if the two houses cannot agree on an adjournment date.

10. Emergency In case of an emergency, the President may call Congress into a special session. Because Congress spends so much of the year in session, the President has not called a special session in over 50 years.

11. Section 2The House of Representatives Focus Question: What is the make-up and terms of the House of Representatives?

12. Today • HR has 435 members. • Congress apportions, or distributes, the seats among the States according to their populations. • Each State sends at least one representative to the House.

13. Every 10 Years • The HR seats are reapportioned – redistributed – when the US counts its population – the census. • The number of representatives may change based on changes in its population.

14. State Boundaries Once Congress tells each State how many HR seats it has, the State draws the boundaries of its electoral districts.

15. Gerrymandering • States must follow guidelines to avoid. • Gerrymandering is drawing districts in a way that is advantageous to the State legislature’s controlling the party.

16. Single-Member District • Used since 1842. • An arrangement that has allowed the voters of each congressional district to choose one representative from a pool of candidates associated with that district. • Before, 1842, voters in some States chose their representative at-large, or from the State as a whole.

17. Requirements • At least 25 years of age. • Has been a citizen of the US for seven years. • Live in the State that he or she wishes to represent.

18. Terms • Two-year terms. • May be elected an unlimited number of times. • Elections held in November of even-numbered years. • Off-year election is a congressional election that is held between presidential elections.

19. Section 3The Senate Focus Question: What is the make-up of the Senate, the smaller of the two houses of Congress?

20. 100 Members • Two from each State. • Established by the Constitution. • A much smaller body than HR.

21. One Senator • Voters of each State elect one senator in any given election. • Unless the other seat has been vacated by death, resignation, or expulsion and so it also needs to be filled.

22. “Upper House” of Congress • Senators meet stricter qualifications and serve longer terms than representatives do. • Six-year terms. • Start dates staggered so only one-third of the terms end at the same time. • Every two years about 33 senators come up for reelection

23. Continuous Body • It never contains only new members. • A majority of its membership has experience.

24. Leaders • Longer terms for senators and the larger size and geographic diversity of their constituencies – those people who elect them – are designed to remove senators, at least somewhat, from the day-to-day politics. In contrast to their colleagues, or coworkers, in the HR, senators have more power and prestige and are more likely to be seen as national political leaders.

25. Becoming a Senator • At least 30 years of age. • Has been a citizen of the U.S. for at least nine years. • Live in the State that he or she wishes to represent.

26. Section 4The Members of Congress Focus Question: The members of Congress receive generous pay and good benefits. What are the various roles that they fill?

27. Make-Up • Most members of Congress are white, upper-middle class and male, although more women and minorities have been elected in recent years. • Most have some previous political experience, such as being a State governor or legislator.

28. Typical Roles • Trustees - they consider each bill’s merits, regardless of the views of the constituents. • As delegates, they base their votes on the wishes of the “folks back home,” their constituents.

29. Roles Continued • As partisans, they vote in line with their political party. • As politicos, they consider all of these factors when they vote.

30. Committee Members • Committees of Congress screen proposed bills and decide which should be acted on. • Committees also exercise the oversight function, checking that the executive branch is working effectively and in line with the policies that Congress has set.

31. Servants • Of their constituents. • Through this duty they help those they represent solve problems with the National Government.

32. Five Key Duties Performing these roles allows them to: • Legislators – makes laws. • Committee Members – screen bills and oversee the executive branch’s enforcement of laws. • Constituent Representative – vote as the “folks back home” want. • Constituent Servant – do favors for citizens. • Politician – keeps in touch with party leaders and constituents back home.

33. What They Receive • Salary • Benefits – Example: franking privilege – the right to send mail postage-free.