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Congress
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Congress
★Senate ★House of Representatives
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House of Representatives
★Representation in the House is based on population - average size of a congressional district is 647,000 people.
★Congressional Reapportionment Act of 1929 fixed membership at 435.
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House of Representatives
★ Originates bills for raising revenues.
★ Brings impeachment charges.★ Chooses a President if no
candidate emerges with a majority vote in the Electoral College.
★ House Rules Committee determines when a bill will come up for debate...the time allotted for discussion...and kinds of amendments that can be offered.
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House of Representatives
Organization★ Presiding officer is the Speaker of
the House.•Refers bills to committees.•Recognizes members to speak.•Appoints Chair of the Rules Committee.
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Organization
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Committees
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House of Representatives
Organization★Apportionment - every 10 years
Congress reallocates the 435 congressional districts among the states based on gains or losses in population.
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House of Representatives
Organization★Redistricting - following
reapportionment, state legislatures draw the boundary lines for each congressional district so congressional districts are approximately equal in population.
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House of Representatives
Organization★Gerrymandering - a process of
drawing boundary lines to help increase the chance that a candidate from a particular political party will be elected.
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What is gerrymandering?
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House of RepresentativesGerrymandering
• http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/287329-5
• http://video.pbs.org/video/1628643360/
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Senate
★The two senators from each state were originally chosen by their state legislatures.
★17th Amendment changed the process so they are now chosen at-large by voters in the states.
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★ Approves presidential appointments.★ Ratifies treaties.★ Holds a trial of an impeached official.★ Rules allow filibusters - the Senate’s
use of unlimited debate as a blocking tactic.
Senate
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★Presiding officer is the Vice-President of the U.S.; this is a ceremonial role only with the V.P. voting only in case of a tie.
★President pro tempore - usually the most senior senator of the majority party.
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Senate Organization
Organization
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★Filibusters in the Senate can be stopped when 60 members vote for a cloture motion. Cloture allows Senators to debate with no one speaking for more than one hour.
★http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6297689n
Senate Filibuster
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Congress - Elections and Terms
★Elections•Held in November of even-numbered years.
★Senators•Serve 6 year terms.•1/3 elected every 2 years.
★Representatives•Serve 2 year terms.
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How does a bill become a law?
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How a Bill Becomes Law
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★http://www.centeroncongress.org/interactive-learning-modules
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How a Bill Really Becomes Law
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★Trustees hear constituents and then make their own judgments as to the broad interests of the entire nation.
★Delegates vote as their constituents want.
★Most members act as politicos - as a trustee or delegate depending on the issue.
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Theories of Representation