Day 1 Opener Book Questions

Answers on pages 262-265 1) How long does a term of

Congress last 2) How does a special session differ

from a regular session of Congress? 3) When does Congress adjourn? 4) Who has the power to prorogue

a session of Congress?

Bell Ringer Review: what is the main job of:•Legislative branch?•Executive branch?• Judicial branch?

#1

Alphabet Rally Round Robin

Your group will be assigned a topic from last semester

You will rally round robin about this topic. Each person will say one sentence

pertaining to the topic. Each new sentence must starting with the

next letter in the alphabet. • Ex. “A cow makes milk”. then “Brown cows

do not make chocolate milk”, then “Cow’s milk is full of protein”

All About Congress

-Congress is the legislative branch.

- making/passing laws - distributing funds for

the functioning of the federal government

- providing assistance to the 50 U.S. states.

Who is Congress and what do they do?

Structure Congress is bicameral, or

made up of two houses: The Senate and the House of Representatives.• Each state gets 2 senators

only, for 100 senators total.• The number of

representatives is calculated by population every ten years. States with more population get more representatives.

House of Representatives

Senate

2 houses

Structure Congress is bicameral, or made up

of two houses: The Senate and the House of Representatives.• Senate = 100 total.• House of Representatives = 435

total.

House of Representatives

Each term (time in office) lasts two years.

Requirements…• Age: Have to be at

least 25.• Citizenship: Have to

have been a citizen for at least 7 years.• Residency: Have to live

in the state where you’re running.

House of Representatives

Every ten years, The House of Representatives has reapportionment, where states are given more or less representatives based on their population. (Each state is guaranteed at least one.)

Apportionment and Redistricting Apportionment

• Proportional process of allotting congressional seats to each state following the ten year census

Redistricting• Redrawing of congressional districts to reflect

increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states, as well as population shifts within a state

1929: House size fixed at 435. Gerrymandering Video

Senate Each term lasts six years. The Senate is a continuous body,

meaning only a third of the Senators are up for election at once.

Requirements…• Age: Have to be at least 30.• Citizenship: Have to have been a citizen for

at least 9 years.• Residency: Have to live in the state where

you’re running.

Discussion Questions The Senate is described as a

continuous body. Why? Why do you think the Constitution wanted the Senate to be this way?

Why are House of Representative Members terms shorter than Senators?

Off-Year Elections Off-Year Elections are held during

nonpresidential election years. Most of the time, the party of the

president loses seats in Congress. Also known as Mid-term elections. Look at the timeline on page 269. Which two elections years did the President’s party gain seats in Congress?

Who is in Congress? The House has become less male and

less white Membership in Congress has become a

career Incumbents still have a great electoral

advantage• But in 1994, voters opposed incumbents

due to budget deficits, various policies, legislative-executive bickering, and scandal – Republicans took control!• In 2006, the Democrats regained control

of Congress

Study the circle graph of racial and ethnic backgrounds for the 107th Congress. How does racial and ethnic diversity differ between the House and the Senate?

Reading Assignment/Homework

Complete the Reading Essentials Questions Worksheet for pages 279-284