Congress

What do you know about Congress?

What do you want to know about Congress?

House of Representatives(Lower House)

435 Members

Senate(Upper House)

100 Members

Legislature(Congress)

535 Members

2 y e a r s 6 y e a r s

Congress

We have a state and a federal legislative branch.

Both are Bicameral= 2 houses Why do we have 2 houses in our

legislative branch?Upper house is the Senate- equal rep.Lower house is the House of

Representatives-rep. based on pop.

Terms and Sessions of Congress

Term- each term of congress lasts for 2 years. Starts and ends on January 3 of odd

numbered years. Session- period of time during which, each

year, congress assembles and conducts business.

There are 2 sessions for each term of congress

Today, congress stays in session throughout most of the year.

House of Representatives

435 members of the house are chosen by the voters in 435 separate congressional districts across the country.

Page 270- Why was it deemed unfair to fill house seats with an at-large election, rather than using the single member district arrangement?

House of Representatives

435 members2 year termsThe house seats are reapportioned

throughout the states every 10 years according to a census

Each seat in the house represents roughly 650,000 people on average.

Every 10 Every 10 YearsYears

US Pop. = US Pop. = 295,000,000295,000,000

435435

Each Represents Approx. 687,000 PeopleEach Represents Approx. 687,000 People

States that Added Congressional Seats after 2010 Census

State Before 2010 census

After 2010 census[5]

Arizona 8 9 (+1)

Florida 25 27 (+2)

Georgia 13 14 (+1)

Nevada 3 4 (+1)

South Carolina 6 7 (+1)

Texas 32 36 (+4)

Utah 3 4 (+1)

Washington 9 10 (+1)

States that Lost Congressional Seats after 2010 Census

State Before 2010 census

After 2010 census[6]

Illinois 19 18 (-1)

Iowa 5 4 (-1)

Louisiana 7 6 (-1)

Massachusetts 10 9 (-1)

Michigan 15 14 (-1)

Missouri 9 8 (-1)

New Jersey 13 12 (-1)

New York 29 27 (-2)

Ohio 18 16 (-2)

Pennsylvania 19 18 (-1)

How districts are drawn

Districts are drawn by the state legislatures.

In the past districts were not drawn with equal numbers of people.

This allowed the congress to be dominated by rural areas.

Wesberry v. Sanders 1964- Page 271- What is meant by “one person, one vote”?

Why would they shape districts like This?

"In gerrymandered election districts, the voters don't choose their politicians - the politicians choose their voters!"

The State Legislature redraws Congressional Districts in order to gain an advantage for a certain political party in the elections

The State Legislature redraws Congressional Districts in order to gain an advantage for a certain political party in the elections

Gerrymandering

District lines are drawn by state legislatures Gerrymandering- redrawing of district lines to

gain political advantage. Lines are drawn to either

1. Concentrate the oppositions voters in one or a few districts.

2. To spread the opposition as thinly as possible among several districts.

ISD 196

CRACKINGCRACKING PACKINGPACKING

Gerrymandering

Go to pg 274 and answer questions 1-3 on the bottom right hand corner

Once finished partner with 2-3 people and discuss your answers.

House of Representatives qualifications

Must be at least 25 years of ageMust have been a citizen of the United

States for at least seven yearsMust be an inhabitant of the State from

which he or she is elected.Traditionally lives within the district.

The Senate

2 from each state 6 year terms Terms are staggered (only 1/3 of them expire

every 2 years) Senators represent entire states so they tend

to represent larger, more diverse populations

Differences between House and Senate

“It is indispensable that besides the House of Representatives which runs on popular sentiment, we should have a body like the Senate which may refuse to run with it all when it seems to be wrong. A body which has time and security enough to keep its head, if only now and then and but for a little while, till other people have had time to think”

Woodrow Wilson

Why would Woodrow Wilson say that the House of Representatives runs on popular sentiment?

Why might he claim that the Senate can choose to not “run with it” if they so choose”

Qualifications for Senators

Must be 30 yrs of ageMust have been a citizen for 9 yrsMust be an inhabitant of the state from

which he or she is elected

Cross Section of Congress 2006

House- 367 men 68 womenSenate- 86 men 14 women

Page- 280

Personal and Political Background

Nearly all are married. A few are divorced.

1/3 of house and ½ the senate are lawyers

House members vary more in political philosophy and background, where as members of the Senate are usually more moderateWhy might this be the case?

Personal and Political Backgrounds

535 members of congress are not an accurate cross section of the American People. Why not?

Roles of a Congress Person

Law MakerRepresentative of their constituentsCommittee members-proposed laws are

referred to committees in each chamberServants of their constituentspoliticians

On what basis do representatives cast their votes?

Trustee- trusts their own conscience/judgment

Delegate- votes as the “folks back home” would like.

Partisan- votes according to partyPolitico- combines basic elements of all

three

The Scope of Congressional Power

Types of Congressional powerExpressed Powers- explicitly written in the

constitution. Implied Powers- reasonable deduction from

the expressed powers.Non-legislative powers- powers that do not

deal with creating legislation.

Strict vs. Liberal Construction

Strict Constructionists- believed congress had expressed powers and implied powers absolutely necessary to carry out those expressed powers.They wanted the states to keep as much

power as possible.Believed states were best able to meet their own

interests, not a far off national govt.Understood the need for national defense and

interstate trade.

Liberal Constructionists

Favored a broad interpretation of the Constitution.They believed we “need an energetic

government”.Which group won this argument?Which interpretation of the constitution

do you favor?

Vocabulary

Constituency Strict ConstructionistIncumbent Liberal Constructionist Reapportionment Expressed powersGerrymandering Implied PowersTrusteePartisansPoliticosDelegates