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