Upload
bertha-kennedy
View
213
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Schedule• Collect Homework
• Who’s Who• Political Topic Reflection
• Finish Amendments• Legislative Branch
• Due Monday, June 8• Who’s Who (on website)
Five Major Roles of Congress
1. Legislators
2. Representatives
3. Committee members
4. Public servants
5. Politicians
Do you see any conflict of interests in these roles?
House of Representatives
• Represents the people proportionally (based on population)
• 435 representatives, each state with at least one
• Two year terms with no limit on terms served
• Reapportion• Districts• Speaker of the House
So You Want to Be in Politics?
Representatives Senate
• 25+ years old• Citizen for 7+ years• Inhabit the state you are
elected from• Customarily living in the
district you represent
What qualifications do you think are important?
• 30+ years old• Citizen of US for 9+ years• Lives in the state they are
elected from
What informal qualifications would you look for in a representative?
Benefits (Mostly “Fringe”)• Paid average $174,000/yr (as determined by members of
congress) • Tax deductions• Travel allowances• Low cost of insurance with full medical care• Pension for retirement ($150,000/yr)• Offices with hired staff• Free mail, free printing• Gyms, Access to Library of Congress, free parking, free
meals
Why are members of Congress reluctant to pass laws that give them additional benefits or higher pay?
Senate
• Represents people equally (2 per state)• Framers hoped it would have a higher quality of people• More concerned with larger issues, national political
leaders• 6 year terms, no limit• Senators can be punished or even expelled with a 2/3
vote of other senate members
Why do you think the Constitution sets such a high requirement of 2/3 vote of senators to expel a senator?
Think-Share-Pair
• How important do you think the identity or demographics are of a person serving in congress?
• Do you think the people elected into congress are a good representation of the demographics of the United States?
• Why should we care about these things?
Race of the United States
General US Population
White Black HispanicAsian Pacific Islander American Indian
Race of Congress
Senate
White BlackHispanic AsianPacific Islander American Indian
House of Rep.
White BlackHispanic AsianPacific Islander American Indian
Think-Pair-Share• We looked at race and gender. Are there other
demographics that you think are important? • What are they? • Why do you think these are important
Powers of Congress• Expressed Powers – Explicit wording• Implied Powers – By Reasonable deduction from
expressed powers• Inherent powers – From creating a national government
for the US
• Strict constructionists (Jefferson) – Expressed, Implied• Liberal constructionists (Hamilton) – Expressed, Implied,
Inherent
Do you believe liberal constructionists would be happy with the way today’s government functions?
Expressed Powers of Congress
• Power to Tax• Commerce Power• Currency• Regulate Bankruptcy• Foreign Relations Power (shared with President)• War Powers (shared with President)• Naturalization • Postal Power• Copyrights• Weights and Measures• Power over territories• Judicial powers
Implied Powers of Congress from Expressed Power
• Naturalization• Regulate and limit
immigration
• War Powers• Draft Americans
• Regulate Commerce• Establish min. wage• Ban discrimination• Regulate banking
• Tax• Punish evaders• Regulate sales of commodities
(alcohol)• Outlaw commodities (narcotics)• Requirements on states for
federal funding
• Borrowing • Establish Federal Reserve
• Postal• Prohibit mail fraud• Ban some items from shipment
Inherent Powers• Control borders• Defend state from revolution
• Anything powers the government has, just because it’s the government!
Presiding Officers and Leadership
• Speaker of the House • Elected from majority party• Presides and keeps order
• President of the Senate • Vice President
• Committee Chairmen
Party Officers• Party Caucus• Floor Leaders
• Selected by party colleagues
• Whips • Assistants to the floor leaders • Selected at caucus usually with floor leader recommendation• Liaison between leadership and members
How a Bills Become Laws
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0
• What the video doesn’t show:• Senate floors involve more
debate.• Filibusters