Chp. 10: Congress

Objectivesp. 002

Essential Understandingsp. 000

Essential Questionsp. 000

Section 1: The National Legislature

p. 003

Reasoning For a Bicameral Congressp. 003

1. Historicala. British Parliament b. most of the colonial governments

2. Practicala. to settle the conflict between the New Jersey and Virginia Plans during the Constitutional

Conventionb. New Jersey Plan – representation is equal (Senate) c. Virginia Plan – representation is proportional to the population of the state (House)

3. Theoretical1. the legislative branch was designed to be the most powerful branch of the government2. Framers were saw bicameralism as a way to diffuse the power of Congress

Terms and Sessionsp. 003

1. Termsa. a term lasts two yearsb. starts on Jan 3rd of odd numbered years

Jan 3, 2011 – start of the 112th Congress 2. Session

a. a session is one year (two per term)b. adjourns – suspend until next sessionc. no house may adjourn without the consent of the otherd. the president may prorogue a session if the two cannot agree on a date for adjournment

3. Special Sessions• a meeting to deal with some emergency situations• only 26 ever called

1. most recent was held in 1948 by Harry Truman to consider anti-inflation and welfare measures after WWII

a. Congress meets year-round now which reduces the likelihood of special sessions

Section 2 The House of Representatievs

p. 003

Size and Termsp. 005

1. 435 membersa. apportioned on the basis of their respective populationsb. each state guaranteed at least one representativec. two year terms – no limit to number of terms

2. Reapportionment (redistribute)a. every ten years after the census

3. Reapportionment Act of 1929a. set the permanent size of the House at 435 (each person represents about 720,000)b. after each census, the Census Bureau determines the number of seats each state

should have

Size and Termsp. 005

4. Congressional Electionsa. held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November on each even-numbered

yeara. all states follow this guideline (Alaska can hold elections in October, but chooses not

to)b. Off-Year Elections are congressional elections not held on the same year as the

presidential electionc. usually the party in power loses seats

5. Districtsa. each of the 435 members of the House represents a district in the U.S.b. single-member district – only one person can win in that district

6. Gerrymandering - district lines have been drawn so that the party in power in a state can maintain power

a. try to concentrate the opposition’s voters in one or more districtsb. try to spread the opposition as thinly as possible among several districts

Qualificationsp. 005

1. Formala. must be at least 25 years oldb. must have been a citizen of the United States for seven yearsc. must be an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected

custom requires that the representative live in the district he/she representsd. the House can refuse a seat to a member-elect by a majority votee. the House can expel a member by a 2/3 vote

2. Informal1. usually have to do with a member’s vote-getting abilities2. factors such as party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics and

political experiencea. Frank Wolf (R) (1992-present from VA’s 10th district) – House Appropriations Committee,

Transportation Appropriations subcommittee

Section 3: The Senate

p. 007

Size, Election, and Termsp. 007

1. Sizea. 100 membersb. 2 from each statec. represent their entire state

2. Electiona. originally elected by state legislaturesb. 17th Amendment allowed them to be elected by popular votec. at-large – elected from the State as a whole

3. Terma. six year terms – no limit to number of termsb. a third go up for reelection every two years

a. helps keep the Senate a continuous body – all the seats are not up for reelection at one time

c. greater job securityd. less subject to the pressures of public opinion and special interest groups

Qualifications p. 007

1. 30 years old2. must have been a citizen of the US for at least nine years3. must be an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected4. the Senate can refuse a seat to a member-elect by a majority vote5. the Senate can expel a member by a 2/3 vote6. Mark Warner (D) (2009-Present) – Committee Assignments – Banking, Housing and Urban

Affairs; Rules and Administration; Budget; Commerce, Science, and Transportation7. Jim Webb (D) (2007-present) – Committee Assignments – Foreign Relations; Veterans’

Affairs, Armed Services; Joint Economic Committee

Section 4: The Members of Congress

p. 009

Personal and Political Backgroundsp. 009

1. the members of Congress are not a representative cross section of the American people2. 57% are Protestant, 29% are Roman Catholic, 7% are Jewish (other religious affiliations

represented include Greek Orthodox, Quaker, Unitarian Universalist, Mormon, Buddhists, and Muslims

3. more than a third of the House and over half the senators were lawyers4. 92% of House Members and 99% of Senators have a college degree

House SenateAvg. Length of Service 9.8 years 11.4 yearsRepublicans 242 47Democrats 192 51Independents 0 2White 360 95Black 44 0Hispanic 26 2Asian 9 2Foreign Born 8 1Women 74 17Average Age 57 62

Five Major Rolesp. 009

1. Legislatorsa. help make laws (main function of Congress)

2. Representatives of their Constituentsa. represent the people that vote for themb. trustees – decide each issue based on its merits and not on the opinion of their

constituentsc. delegates – decide each issue based on the opinion of their constituentsd. partisans – side with political party on issuese. politicos – attempt to balance being trustees, delegates and partisans

3. Committee Members1. specialize in one area of the law2. earn prestige and power

a. Servants of their Constituents a. try to help based on issues important to their constituents

b. Politicians

Compensationp. 009

1. Salarya. for all Senators and Members is $174,000b. for the Speaker of the House is $223,500c. for the Majority and Minority Leaders is $193,400d. control their own salaries

2. Nonsalary Compensation a. special tax deductions for maintaining two residenciesb. travel expensesc. a generous retirement plan to which the contributed. office staff expensese. franking privilege – allows them to mail letters postage free

a. Membership Privileges 1. free from arrest except in cases of treason, felony and breach of the peace2. protected from libel or slander while conducting official business