Presentation Transcript

1. The Basics of Congress

2. The Role of Congress Bicameral- 2 houses 1. Historical- Great Britain 2. Practical- Great Compromise 3. Theoretical- Checks and Balances The job of Congress: TO MAKE LAWS
3. How is Congress Organized?
4. Roles of Congress Elected to be representatives of the people How do they cast their vote to represent the views of the people? 4 options: Trustees: call issues as they see them; take each issue case by case Delegates: how would my constituents (the people they represent) want me to vote? 3. partisans: always vote in line with party platform 4. Politicos: try to balance their views, the views of the constituents, and what is best for the country
5. Non-Legislative Powers of Congress

6. CONGRESS IN OPERATION

7. Congress in Operation Term: each term lasts two years Starts on the third day of January of every odd-numbered year at noon Session: the period of time that Congress is assembled There are two sessions per term; one per year Special Session: the President has the power to call Congress into session during an emergency Only 26 have ever been called
8. Congress in Operation Opening Day procedures differ because: In the House, all are needed to be sworn in, and a lot are new members. All positions must be voted on and organized In the Senate, only 1/3 need to be sworn in, and most organization is already done Party Caucus: Closed meeting of each party in each house Deals with party organization Committee members
9. State of the Union Address Shortly after Congress is convened, the President gives the State of the Union This is where he lays out his agenda for the next year and what he wishes to accomplish along with Congress
10. Leadership in the House of Representatives Speaker of the House: head of the House of Representatives Selected from the Majority Party in the House Current Speaker: John Boehner
11. Leadership in the Senate Head of the Senate: This job is assigned to the Vice President of the United States It is the ONLY formal job assigned to the VP President Pro-Tempore: Leader of the Senate when the Vice President is absent This is the most senior member of the majority party Daniel Ken Inoye
12. Whips Both houses of Majority and Minority Leaders The Whips are the assistant Majority/ minority leader- they work to ensure their party is voting according to party platform
13. Party Unity Lower today than 100 years ago, but….. Ideology important variable explaining party voting (members vote with their party 80% of the time) Party polarization - vote in which majority of democrats oppose majority of republicans Polarization trends: 1976 HR = 36%; S = 37% 1995 HR = 73%; S = 69% 2000 HR = 43%; S = 49%
14. Benefits of Congressional Members Salary: between $150,000-$187,500 (tax free) Travel allowances Discounted health insurance Generous retirement plans Funds for maintaining offices in home location Franking privilege: mailing letters/ packages for free Free printing- Government Printing office- prints Congressional Record Gyms, pools, rec centers, restaurants
15. Benefits of Congressional Members Library of Congress Largest library in the world Started as a research facility for Congress members Speech/ Debate Clause- What they say in Congress cannot be used against them anywhere else Meant to protect freedom of legislative debate

16. The Census and Gerrymandering

17. The Census The census is taken every 10 years to gather information regarding population in the United States It is pivotal in House seat distribution
18. 2000-2010
19. 2010 apportion changes Reapportionment: A new allotment (especially a new distribution of US and state congressional seats on the basis of census results) Redistricting: Redrawing of congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states , as well as population shifts within a state ***State legislatures draw district lines
20. The Constitution of Virginia and the Constitution of the United States require reapportionment of national state and local legislative bodies following each census. Redistricting occurs in the legislative branch by the majority party in the state
21. Gerrymandering Legislative process through which the majority party in each statehouse tries to assure that the maximum number of representation from its political party can be elected to Congress through the redrawing of legislative districts So that means……a given areas borders are redrawn with the intention of producing a better suited area for the electoral process
22. The Original Gerrymander
23. Results of Gerrymandering Party in power stays in power “safe seats” are created Odd shaped districts “majority-minority” districts created by racial gerrymandering
24. Redistricting Requirements Districts should be as equally populated as possible Wesberry v. Sanders 1964 Racial gerrymandering is prohibited While race cannot be a determining factor of a district, it can be one of the mix factors that shape the process Hunt v. Cromartie 2001
25. Illinois An Example of post Voting Rights Act reverse gerrymandering. Illinois’ 4th Congressional district, which includes the historically Puerto Rican Logan Square, and the historically Mexican South Side neighborhoods of Pilsen and Little Village (the ‘Lower West Side’ in the Chicago neighborhood map). In order to connect these two Latino neighborhoods and create a single congressional district without disturbing the contiguity of mostly black congressional districts in between, the north and south neighborhoods had to be connected with a miles long corridor that runs through parks and cemeteries, all the way to the edge of Cook County on the west. Current representative: Luis Gutierrez.

26. Powers of Congress

27. War & Peace - Whose Power Is It?

    The War Powers Struggle Between the President and Congress
28. Commander in Chief of the Army & Navy Commander in Chief of the state militias (now the National Guard) Commission all officers Appoint ambassadors, ministers and consuls Make treaties subject to senate confirmation Receive ambassadors Constitutional Powers War Powers - President
29. Declare war Raise & support army & navy Ratify treaties (Senate) Advise & consent of ambassadors (Senate) Make rules concerning captures on land & water Organize, arm, train & provide for the militia Suppress insurrections & repel invasions Constitutional Powers War Powers - Congress
30. President must consult w/ Congress before introducing armed forces into hostilities Consult with Congress regularly until troops removed If war not declared, President must submit report to Congress within 48 hours of troop deployment President must remove troops after 60 days (+30 days for withdrawal) if Congress has not declared war The War Powers Resolution
31. The Prize Cases (1862) Korematsu v. United States (1944) Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1951) Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2005) War Powers: The Supreme Court Weighs In
32. Court’s Decision:The President had the power to act because a state of war existed. Discussion Question: Does this case expand or limit the war powers of the President and/or Congress? The Prize Cases (1862) Key Issue: Did President Lincoln act within his presidential powers when he blockaded southern ports without a declaration of war?
33. Court’s Decision:The government’s limitation of rights was justified during a time of “emergency and peril.” Discussion Question: Does this case expand or limit the war powers of the President and/or Congress? Korematsu v. U.S. (1944) Key Issue: Did the Present, with the support of Congress, have the power to restrict the rights of Japanese Americans by relocating them to internment camps?
34. Court’s Decision:Neither an act of Congress nor the inherent powers of the President authorize military commissions that do not comply with US and international laws. Discussion Question: Does this case expand or limit the war powers of the President and/or Congress? Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2005) Key Issues: 1) Were the military commissions set up by the Bush administration to try detainees at Guantanamo Bay constitutional? 2) Can Congress pass legislation preventing the Supreme Court from hearing the case?
35. Commerce Clause “to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes.” What is Commerce? business or commercial exchanges in any and all of its forms between citizens of different states Other Powers Assigned to Congress 27 different powers are specifically granted to Congress in Article 1, Section 8
36. Power to Tax “to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts, and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general welfare of the United States” Other Powers Assigned to Congress 27 different powers are specifically granted to Congress in Article 1, Section 8
37. Limitations on the Power to Tax
38. Direct vs. Indirect Tax
39. Borrowing Power Congress has the power to “ borrow money on the credit of the United States” Article 1, Section 8, Clause 2 There are no Constitutional limits on how much Congress can borrow or for what purposes it can borrow
40. How much have we borrowed? http://www.usdebtclock.org/
41. Currency Power Congress has the power to “coin money and regulate the value thereof”

42. COMITTEES OF CONGRESS

    Senate Budget Committee HOW DO THEY GET THE JOB DONE??
43. Legislative Committees:Function & Purpose 1. Consider bills(a.k.a. “mark-up” bills)
44. Legislative Committees:Function & Purpose 2. Maintain oversight of executive agencies Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testifies before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing re: the Department of Defense Budget (May, 2006)
45. Legislative Committees:Function & Purpose 3. Conduct investigations New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Hurricane Katrina (Feb., 2006)
46. Types of Committees Standing Committees - permanent panel with full legislative functions and oversight responsibilities See chart on page 330- Examples: Agriculture, armed services, appropriations, etc. Subcommittees– formed to tackle very specific tasks within the jurisdiction of the full committees
47. House Standing Committees Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education & Workforce Energy & Commerce Financial Services Government Reform House Admin. International Relations Judiciary Resources Rules Science Small Business Standards of Official Conduct Transportation & Infrastructure Veterans Affairs Ways & Means
48. House Rules Committee ONLY IN THE HOUSE AKA: the traffic cop of the lower house Most powerful committee in the House They decide under what conditions a bill will be heard Ie: when it is heard, if at all NO SUCH COMMITTEE IN THE SENATE- this job belongs to the Majority floor leader
49. Senate Standing Committees Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, Transportation Energy & Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Governmental Affairs Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans Affairs
50. Types of Committees Select or Special Committees- groups appointed for a limited purpose and limited duration Examples: Senate Watergate Committee, Senate Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran
51. Special, Select Committees House Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming Senate Select Committee on Ethics House & Senate Select Committees on Intelligence Gen. Michael Hayden is sworn in during a full committee hearing of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee on his nomination to bedirector of the Central Intelligence Agency.
52. Types of Committees Joint Committees - includes members of both chambers to conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks Examples: Joint Committee on the Library of Congress Conference Committee- includes members of House & Senate to work out differences between similar bills
53. Fact: About 5,000 bills are introduced in Congress every year, but only about 150 are signed into law.

    How a Bill becomes a Law

    The obstacle course of Congress
54. Note: Congress can override veto with 2/3 vote in each house; only 4% of vetoes have been overridden