Congress
House of Representatives
• Size and Terms– Size: ______ (started with 65)• Size is set by congress (since 1911)• ____________________ by population
– Largest is CA-53– States with 1 seat- Alaska, Delaware, Montana, N. Dakota, S.
Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming– Non Voting delegates- DC, Guam, Virgin Islands, Am. Samoa,
Puerto Rico.
House of Representatives
• Term of Service– Term is _______________. – No limit on terms
House of Representatives
• _______________________ – def.- determining the number of Reps. Each state
gets. – When?- after each ______________– How?• Census bureau determines number per state• Since the 2002 elections (5) the magic number has
been _______________ per district.
House of Representatives
• Elections– First _______________ following the first
________________ in November in even numbered years
– Every other election is also a presidential election– Midterm/off year elections: years when no
presidential election is happening• Usually we see a swing towards the opposing party in
this election.
House of Representatives
-Districts– _______________ (1 rep from each geographic area) Contiguous- all parts touch each other, no hopping around Approximately the same number of residents in each district,
647,000
– ___________________________- putting dif. number of citizens in each congressional district Districts were drawn by square miles (rural power) Population of districts within a state must be equal
House of Representatives
• _____________________– Setting boundaries to benefit certain parties or
ethnic groups. – Way to dilute a group’s vote• Packing- put all of one group into a single district• Cracking- sprinkling a group throughout numerous
different districts
– Ruled ok for political reasons, not if ________________
House of Representatives
• Qualifications– Constitution requires: • _____ years old• _____________• 7 years ____________ of state
– States require• Reside in representative district• Certain residency lengths (state specific)
Senate
• Election and Terms (40% first served in the House)– ______ per state• Originally chosen by state legislature• Today chosen by popular vote of the state during an at
large election (17th Amendment)
Senate
-Term of service: ______________– Staggered terms, no chance of having entirely new senate
in 1 election (continuous body)– Less worried about public pressure/interest– Most influenced by special interest groups (needs more $)– Broad, more diverse scope of representation
-More political power– _________________– __________________– ____________________
Senate
• Qualifications– ____- years old– US citizen for _____ years– Inhabitant of state– _____________ set length of residency codes
Policing of Membership
• “___________” qualifications- – refuse to seat the member– Basically the vote of no confidence
• ______________– to kickout– Ex. James Traficant: expelled for taking bribes by a 420-1
vote. Sentenced to 7 years federal incarceration. • __________________– Public reprimand. No real punishment other than
approval rating.
Demographics of Congress
• ________ members: not legitimate cross-section• Description- White, late 50’s– Avg. age: House-_____, Senate- ______– Mostly Married– 60% _____________, 25% _______________, 8%
__________________– 1/3 of house and ½ of Senate are current/former
lawyers– 4/5 hold a college degree
Demographics cont’d…
• Women and Minorities– Women: House-70, Senate- 13– African American: House-41, Senate- 1– Hispanic- House-30, Senate-3
Pay
• Senate – Member- $_________________– Majority Party Leader - $___________________– Minority Party Leader - $___________________
• House – Member- $___________________– Speaker of the House - $____________________– Majority Leader - $_____________________– Minority Leader - $_______________________
• *most live solely of the salary (not independently wealthy)
Duties of Office
• ____________________– They make laws
• _______________________– First step in making laws– Collect the information about a bill– Screening process- ex. Presidential appointees– Oversee executive branch’s agencies/departments• Are they using the money wisely?• Are they carrying out the law?
Duties of Office• _____________________– Must do what is right (conscience)– Usually think “what is best for the country”
• May be against what constituents want (dangerous)
• ______________________– Represent the voters (supposed to “curb” personal
views• ______________________– Duty bound to vote with, act in interest of your
party– Safer if you represent a “solid” community
Duties of Office
• ________________________– Balancing act of 3 roles: • Trustee• Delegate• Partisan
• ___________________________– Help those (businesses and individuals) at “home”
(good for reelection)
Review/ Remember
• Limited government• Separation of powers• Checks and Balances• Federalism
How a Bill becomes a Law
** a bill is a proposed law
Creating Bills
• Who can draft it?– President– Executive agencies– Congressmen/staff– Interest groups/lobbyist
• Why so few make it (less than 10%)– As many as 10,000 are introduced per term– Process: at least 100 steps – Compromise is required– Politics: some are proposed just for show
Types of Bills and Resolutions
• _______________- proposed or draft law• ___________________-no force of law/1
house• ___________________- force of law/both
houses• ____________________- no force of
law/both houses• __________- unrelated to main purpose
of bill• ____________- $$ designated for
specific purpose
Introduction/First reading
• House: member drops it in the “hopper”– Not read aloud– Given a number and short title– Assigned to committee by speaker (H)/ majority leader
(S)• Senate– Sponsor recognizes bill, read aloud, then sent to
committee• Placed into Congressional Record – All things said and done in congress daily
Bill in Committee• Chairmen assigns a subcommittee• Steps– Pigeonholing a bill: death by neglect– Voting at the start• Kill• Adopt without change (rare)
– Rewrite/ Major Change– Committee Hearing• No specified length (time)• Purpose is to get info
– Final Vote• Approve (report out)- must have majority• Refuse to approve
Bill in Committee
• ___________________– Final version of bill– “reported out” to full House or Senate
• Most legislators ___________ committee decision (why?)– They are the experts (did the homework)– Want the same support when it is their turn
House rules and Calendars
• Debate and floor vote– Requires calendaring
• Some bills are “top” priority– Taxes– Spending
• System in place because of size of House– Too many bills and too many people
Bill on the Floor
• ___________________• Number required to do business• Majority of the members (H and S)
• Amendments• 2nd reading• Amendments offered- 5 minutes of debate then vote
• “Christmas Tree Bill”• Lots of amendments
Bill on the floor
• Debate (House)• Must stay on topic• Strict time limits
• Debate (Senate): *great commitment to debate• The ___________________• Talk it to death• Delay or prevent action• Talk about anything, on or off topic• Mere threat can and does kill a bill• Stops work from being done
Bill on the floor
• Voting- Physically present– House• Voice: Aye or Nay• Standing: counted by clerk• Teller: stand and be counted (walk by)• Roll call (count the quorum)
– Electronic– Aye or Nay– 15 minutes grace then locked in
– Senate– Voice– Standing– Roll call- traditional
Final Steps
• Third reading• Voted on again– After this it is delivered in final copy to the other
house
Conference Committee
• Required to compromise 2 versions of 1 bill• Conferees: – members of standing committee who originally
handled bill (in accurate %)• No agreement is a rare occurance• CC’s job: – Resolve points of disagreement– Not a “new” committee
Off to the Man
• Bill sent to president– 4 options• Sign it• Veto it
– Refuse to sign (send back to 1st House)– Override (Congress can override with 2/3 vote)
• Allow to become law with no signature– Pres. Doesn’t act within 10 days (excluding Sundays) WHILE
congress is in session
• Pocket Veto– If congress adjourns before 10 days (out of session) and Pres.
Has not acted = NO LAW