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CONGRESS-The Basics

CONGRESS-The Basics. AP US Government Unless otherwise noted, Visuals taken from: American Government: Roots and Reform. Roots of the Legislative Branch. The U.S. Congress was greatly influenced by the American colonial experience and by the Articles of Confederation.

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CONGRESS-The Basics

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  1. CONGRESS-The Basics AP US Government Unless otherwise noted, Visuals taken from: American Government: Roots and Reform.

  2. Roots of the Legislative Branch • The U.S. Congress was greatly influenced by the American colonial experience and by the Articles of Confederation. • Under the British, colonial assemblies were chosen as advisory bodies to the royal governors. • These assemblies gradually assumed more power and authority in each colony, eventually gaining responsibility over taxation and spending. • The weaknesses of the Articles led to the Philadelphia Convention in 1787.

  3. The Constitution and the Legislative Branch of Government • Article I creates a bicameral legislative branch of government. • The upper house is called the Senate in which each state receives two representatives known as Senators. • The lower house is called the House ofRepresentatives which is apportioned bypopulation. • The Senate has a six-year term with 1/3 of the seats up for reelection every two years. • House members serve two-year terms.

  4. Apportionment and Redistricting • The Constitution requires that all Americans be counted every ten years by a census. • The census determines the representation in the House of Representatives. [reapportionment] • Redistricting (the redrawing of congressional districts to reflect changes in seats allocated to the states from population shifts) is done by state legislatures and, of course, always has political overtones. • When the process is outrageously political, it is called gerrymandering and is often struck down by the courts.

  5. Source: eMapshop ver 2.3

  6. Constitutional Powers of Congress • The most important constitutional power of Congress is the power to make laws. • This power is shared by the House and the Senate. • In order to become a law, a bill must be passed by both the House and the Senate.

  7. Spend Money Regulate Commerce Taxation Create Courts Powers of Congress Lawmaking Declare War Make all laws “necessary and proper” to carrying out the enumerated powers

  8. Initiate revenue bills Two-year term 435 Formal Specialist Tax policy Advise and consent Six-year term 100 More relaxed Generalist Foreign policy Key DifferencesHouseSenate

  9. The Members of Congress • Congress is older, better educated, whiter, and richer than most of us. • However, great strides have been made. Currently, both California senators are women. • Can a man represent a woman? • Can a white person adequately represent the views of a person of color?

  10. Approval Ratings of Congress and District Representatives

  11. WOMEN MEMBERS OF THE 112TH CONGRESS HOUSE WOMEN REPRESENTATIVES: 77 Total Democratic Congresswomen: 53 Total Republican Congresswomen: 24 SENATEWOMEN SENATORS: 17Total Democratic Senators: 12 Total Republican Senators: 5 Women in the 80th Congress: 1947-49 http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Pages/N_Pages/Norton_Mary.htm http://womenincongress.house.gov/historical-data/

  12. Female and Minority Members of Congress

  13. In the 112th Congress, there are 87 veterans in the House and 25 in the Senate. http://www.telegraphneighbors.com/military/905663-208/number-of-lawmaker-veterans-declining.html?CSAuthResp=1234%3A%3A5000%3A1%3A24%3Aapproved%3A0F4585785573305EC4153626DBD917C5

  14. The Representational Role of Members of Congress • How should an elected official represent his/her constituents? • Trustee--representatives use their own best judgment • Delegate--representatives vote the way their constituents want them to • Politico--representatives act as trustee or delegate depending on the issue

  15. How Congress is Organized • Every two years, a new Congress is seated. • The first order of business is the election of leaders and adoption of new rules. • Both houses of Congress are organized on the basis of party for both leadership and committee purposes.

  16. Structural Organization 112th House

  17. Structural Organization 112th Senate

  18. Different Types of Congressional Committees • Standing Committee: continues from one Congress to the next. • Joint Committee: set up to expedite business between the two houses. • Conference committee: special joint committees that resolve differences in bills passed by either house. • Ad hoc, special, or select committees: temporary committees designed for a specific purpose.

  19. The Law-Making Function of Congress • Only a member of the House or Senate may introduce a bill but anyone can write a bill. • Over 9,000 bills are proposed and fewer than 5 to 10% are enacted. • Most bills originate in the Executive Branch. • A bill must survive three stages to become a law: committees, the floor, and the conference committee. A bill can die at any stage.

  20. How a Bill Becomes a Law

  21. The Dilemma of Representation • Legislators are elected based on their platform appeal to voters in their district and state. • What “plays well in Peoria” may not be the same as what is in the best interest of the country as a whole. • Statesmanship vs. pleasing the voters back home!

  22. How Members Make Decisions • It is rare for a legislator to disregard strong wishes of constituents, particularly on hot-button issues or those contentious issues that get a lot of media attention. • Deciding how the voters feel is not possible. • The perceptions of the representative are important since he/she cannot really know how all the constituents feel about an issue. • If constituents have little knowledge or interest in an issue, the legislator often makes an autonomous decision.

  23. How Members Make Decisions Interest Groups Colleagues Caucuses Party Representative Constituents Staff Political Action Committees

  24. Congress and the President • Especially since the 1930s, the president has seemed to be more powerful than Congress. • However, Congress retains several key powers vis-a-vis the president: • funding powers • oversight • impeachment/removal http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/01/26/photo-gallery-president-obama-s-2011-state-union-address

  25. Congressional Oversight of the Executive Branch • Congress has the power to review the actions of the Executive Branch • Congressional oversight is used to ensure that the bureaucracy is enforcing and interpreting laws the way Congress intended. • Congressional Review Act of 1996

  26. Congress and the Judiciary • Establishes size of Supreme Court, the Supreme Court’s appellate jurisdiction, and structure of the federal court system • Accepts or rejects presidential nominees to federal courts • Senatorial Courtesy: Senators have significant input to president on nominees of federal judges to their states

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