1. Chapter 11- Lawmakers and Legislatures
Denison Middle
Civics

2. Standards
SS.7.C.3.8
Analyze the structure, function, and processes of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
SS.7.C.1.7
Describe how the Constitution limits the powers of government through the separation of powers and checks and balances.
SS.7.C.2.9
Evaluate candidates for political office by analyzing their qualifications, experience, issue-based platforms, debates, and political ads.
LACC.68.RH.2.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

3. Introduction

4. 11.2- Legislators and Their Constituents
Most legislators start out in local politics
Ex: city council
Once they have gathered experience, they may try for a seat in the House of Representatives or the Senate
As lawmakers move upward on the legislative path, they serve an ever-widening group of constituents- people in their home districts or states

5. Formal Qualifications: Age and Citizenship Requirements
The Constitution established formal qualifications for members of Congress
Members of both Houses must be residents of the state in which they are elected
Members must also meet certain age and citizenship requirements
House members must be 25 years old and a U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
Senators must be at least 30 years old and a U.S. citizen for at least nine years

6. Informal Qualifications: Race, Gender, Education, and Occupation
For some 200 years Congress was made up of lawmakers who were white, male, and middle to upper class
By the late 1960s, a few hundred women had won election to their state legislatures and Congress
By 2006, that number had increased to more than 1,650 women serving as state or national lawmkers

7. Informal Qualifications: Race, Gender, Education, and Occupation
In 1971, a combined total of 21 African Americans and Latinos held seats in Congress
By 2007, that number had increased to 73
Beyond race and gender, at least 2 other informal qualifications still exist: education and occupation
Most legislators have a college degree
The majority of lawmakers have a background in business or law

8. Apportionment: Achieving Equal Representation
The U.S. Senate has 100 seats
The House of Representatives has 435 seats, with each seat representing one congressional district
House seats are apportioned (divided) among the states according to each state’s population
Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau counts the nation’s population
The results of the census are used to determine how seats are distributed among the states
Based on the 2010 Census apportionment, each member of the U.S. House of Representatives will represent an average population of 710,767.

9. Apportionment: Achieving Equal Representation
The constitutional principle behind apportionment is equal representation- “one person, one vote”
The idea also applies to the apportionment of seats in state legislatures
The principle does not apply to the U.S. Senate
As a result, the nation’s least populous state, Wyoming, has as much power in the Senate as does the most populous state, California
2010 U.S. Census  California= 37,341,989
Wyoming= 568,300

10. How Legislators See Their Jobs: Delegates Versus Trustees
Legislators see themselves as fulfilling one of two distinct roles: delegate or trustee
Delegates seek to represent their districts by responding directly to the wishes or needs of their constituents
First-time lawmakers
Trustees try to represent their districts by exercising their best independent judgment
More experienced lawmakers

11. Getting Elected: Turnover and the Power of Incumbency
Once elected, many legislators stay in office as long as voters keep reelecting them
Term limits only affect only state legislators
In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled that the terms of members of Congress cannot be limited except by a constitutional amendment

12. Getting Elected: Turnover and the Power of Incumbency
Lawmakers that run for office term after term stand a good chance of being reelected
Since 1945, representatives running for office won reelection approximately 90% of the time
Around 80%of incumbent senators have won their reelection bids

13. Getting Elected: Turnover and the Power of Incumbency
Incumbents have four main advantages over their challengers:
Name recognition. Voters are familiar with incumbents
Office resources. Incumbents can use benefits of their office, such as staff, mailing privileges, and travel allowances to keep in touch with voters in their districts
Campaign funds. Individuals and organizations give money in larger amounts to incumbents than to challengers
Bragging rights. Incumbents can point to federally projects- from roads and bridges to defense contracts- that they have won for their districts
These projects are known as pork, because the money for them comes from the federal “pork barrel,” or treasury

14. 11.3- The Organization of Congress
The framers of the Constitution viewed Congress as “ the first branch of government”

15. A Bicameral Legislature: The House and Senate
The Constitution establishes Congress as a bicameral legislature, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate
The framers expected the House, with its larger size and more frequent elections, to act as the “people’s body”
The Senate, whose members serve longer terms were originally chosen by state legislatures, was meant to be a more elite chamber that would act as a steadying influence on Congress

16. Leadership Roles in the House
Since the 1800s, Congress has based its organization on the two major political parties
In each house, the majority party- the one with the most seats- controls the agenda

17. Leadership Roles in the House
There are 3 leadership roles in the House:
Speaker of the House- Has more power and prestige then any other leader in Congress
Nominated by the majority party but wins the position through a vote of the entire House
The speaker presides over the House, assigns bills to committees, and appoints members to special committees and commissions
Majority and minority leaders- Are elected by their respective parties
Their duty is to manage legislation on the House floor
The majority leader is the majority party’s second in command
Majority and minority whips- assistant floor leaders are responsible for keeping the leadership informed and persuading party members to vote along party lines

18. Leadership Roles in the Senate
There are 5 main leadership positions in the Senate:
President of the Senate. The Constitution assigns this position to the vice president.
President of the Senate pro tempore. Is the most senior senator of the majority party and may preside over Senate sessions when the vice president is not there.
Majority leader. Serves as the spokesperson for the party that holds the most seats in the Senate. The majority leader must work with party members and the minority leader to move legislation to a vote
Minority leader. This leader helps shape minority party policy and devise strategies for stopping majority-sponsored bills opposed by the minority party.
Majority and minority whips. The main duty of these assistant floor leaders is to stand in for the majority and minority leaders

19. The Congressional Committee System
Congress has 5 types of committees that help assist in the lawmaking process:
Standing committees. Permanent committees that handle most legislative business. Each standing committee has its own broad area of responsibility, such as homeland security of foreign affairs. Another key duty is to gather information through hearings and investigations

20. The Congressional Committee System
Subcommittees. Do the work of reviewing all proposed legislation.
Select or special committees. Formed occasionally by both houses to investigate specific problems. These committees are usually temporary.
Joint committees. Congress has a small number of permanent joint committees made up of members of both the House and Senate.
Conference Committees. Is a temporary kind of joint committee. It is used to iron out to versions of a bill passed by both the House and the Senate.

21. Staff and Support Agencies
The House and Senate each employ around 1,000 committee staffers to support the work of their various committees
Representatives average about 16 staffers apiece, while senators average about 40 staff members each
Personal staff members perform tasks such as answering constituents questions to writing speeches and drafting bills

22. Caucuses and Coalitions
Members of Congress have formed over 100 unofficial groups called caucuses to peruse particular goals and interests
MAKE CHANGES

23. 11.4- The Work of Congress
Members of Congress have two distinct but interrelated jobs: they must represent their constituents in their districts or states, and they must perform their constitutional duties as national legislators

24. The Powers of Congress
Article I of the Constitution states that Congress shall have “all legislative powers”
The specific powers given to Congress include the authority to:
Levy taxes
Borrow money
Regulate interstate commerce
Coin money
Declare war

25. The Powers of Congress
The Constitution also authorizes Congress to “make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper” for carrying out those-enumerated- powers