Chapter 10/11/12The Legislative Branch
Essential Questions
What makes a successful Congress?
In what ways should people participate in public affairs?
Can citizens keep the government from falling into
error by voting alone?
Are interest groups vital to democratic government?
10.1 FactsO Congress is BicameralO In the House of Representatives, States are
represented according to populationO Each state has 2 senatorsO Congress meets for 2 year terms, divided
into two 1 year sessionsO The constitution provides for a bicameral
congress for historical, practical and theoretical reasons
O The bicameral structure is a compromise set up by the framers to accommodate large and small states
Congressional sessionsO The Congress shall
assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3rd day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.O -20th Amendment,
section 2
O Adjourn- suspend until the next session
O Recess- short periods during a session of rest
O Pro-rogue- presidential ability to end a session (no one has done this)
Special SessionO March 1933: FDR was
president during the Great Depression. He did not wait for Congress to enter session in December, but immediately called a special session to address the economic crisis. He passed several important legislations , one was the cash and carry law to lift the ban on sale of arms and allow us to supply arms to allies without formally declaring war
Section 10.2The House of Representatives
10.2 FactsO Members of the house represent districts of roughly
equal population and serve 2 year termsO After each census, the 435 seats in the House are
redistributed among the States to reflect changes in population
O Elections are held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even numbered years
O Members of the house must be at least 25 years old, must have been a US citizen for at least 7 years, and must live in the state he/she represents
O Congressional districts can be gerrymandered to provide an advantage to the dominant party in a state’s legislature
O The right combination of formal and informal qualifications helps members of the House get elected
Gerrymander
From Massachusetts Governor
Elbridge Gerry, who in 1812, drew
the State’s legislative districts to
favor his party. A noted painter
added a head, wings and claws to
a district map hanging over the
desk of a newspaper editor. “that
will do for a salamander” said the
artist “better say Gerrymander "said the editor
Section 10.3The Senate
10.3 FactsO The Senate includes 100 members, 2 from each State,
who are elected to 2 six year termsO Senators must be at least 30 years old, must have
been citizens of the U.S. for a least 9 years, and must live in the State from which they are elected
O Only 1/3 of the Senate is up for election at any one time, so the Senate is a continuous body
O Senators represent a larger group of people, and therefore a broader range of interest, than members of the House, and are more often viewed as national political leaders
O Senators usually have more experience, power and prestige than their colleagues in the House
O Senators are protected from some political pressures because they serve for a long time
4 Options for voting in Congress
O Delegate: agents of the people who elect them
O Trustee: each questions they face must be decided on its merits, and speak as to if the issue is valid or not
O Partisans: owe their first allegiance to their political party, they vote party line
O Politicos: try to combine delegate/trustee/partisan roles
Chapter 11Congressional Powers
FactsO Congress has expressed, implied and inherent powersO The Constitutions spells out 27 expressed powers of
congressO The commerce power allows Congress to regulate tradeO Congress levies taxes to meet public needs and to
protect domestic industry and public health and safetyO The currency power allows federal gov’t to coin money
and regulate its value. Congress may borrow on the credit of the U.S. and establish uniform bankruptcy laws
O Express power meaning is found in the ways in which these powers have been carried out
O The commerce power is the basis for many implied powers
O The taxing power is vital to the functioning of gov’t
Chapter 12Bill to Law
Chapter 12.1FactsO Speaker of the House controls the agenda in the
House of RepresentativesO The vice president is the president of the Senate,
but votes only to break a tieO The majority and minority leaders of each house
carry out the decisions of their party’s caucusO Party whips act as liaisons between members and
leadershipO Committee chairmen are usually chosen by seniorityO The speaker of the house and the majority leaders
and committee chairmen in both houses are members of the majority party, and wield the most power in Congress.
Deciding how a bill becomes a law
A Bill can be introduced in either chamber
Before a bill is submitted:
1. You must build support
2. Word it right, make sure people want to vote for
it
12.2 FactsO Standing committees decide the fate of most billsO The powerful House Rules Committee can speed, delay
or even prevent House action on a billO Both houses create temporary select committees to
investigate current issuesO Joint committees are composed of members of both
housesO The majority party holds the majority in each
committeeO Conference committees resolve differences in House
and Senate versions of a bill to produce a single compromise bill
O Most bills never make it out of committeeO Bills must pass both houses in identical form to go to
the president
In the House :1. introduced
2. Committee action3. Rules committee action
4. Floor action (if passed goes to senate)
In the Senate:
1. Introduced
2. Committee action
3. Floor action
4. *****then******
5. Conference committee
6. Congressional approval
7. Presidential action
Chapter 12.3Making Law: The House
12.3 FactsO Only a member can intro a bill in either houseO Bills approved by the appropriate committee and
the Rules Committee are given floor considerationO Measures that win house approval are sent to the
SenateO All bills are scheduled on the appropriate calendarO Only a small fraction of bills intro’ed become lawsO Bills are referred to standing committees and most
to subcommittees O Important bills are referred to the Committee of the
Whole to speed business on the floor with Rules that are less strict than those of the House itself
After a Bill is introduced, there are 12 Steps a successful bill follows:1. Clerk gives Bill a number and title
2. First reading: bill is entered in House Journal and Congressional Record
3. Speaker refers bill to the appropriate standing committee
4. Subcommittee may hold hearings or take informational junkets
5. Committee reports bill6. Rules committee grants rule to permit floor
consideration7. Bill is placed on appropriate calendar
8. Bill receives second reading: may be debated and amended
9. House votes on amendments, motions, and full bill10.Approved bill is engrossed
11.Bill receives third reading by title only12.Final vote is taken