Chapter 8 Congress: Members and Elections Section 1 Members of Congress

The Great Compromise and Congress As a result of the Great Compromise, Congress is made up of two houses—in other words, it is a bicameral structure. The two houses of Congress are the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate was established to give smaller states more power relative to the larger states. The House of Representatives was established to give large states more power relative to small states © EMC Publishing, LLC

The Senate Each state has two members in the Senate. As each state has been added to the Union, the Senate has grown by two members. Senators serve 6-year terms. The Senate is a continuous body because not all of the senators are elected at the same time. Only one-third of the senators face election every 2 years. Senators can serve an unlimited number of terms. © EMC Publishing, LLC

The House of Representatives The House has 435 seats apportioned (distributed) among the states according to population. Each state has at least one representative. Every 10 years, the House seats are reapportioned (redistributed). States that have gained population gain seats, and states that have lost population lose seats. In Wesberry v. Sanders (1964), the U.S. Supreme Court said House districts must be equal in population. Redrawing districts to make them equal is redistricting. House members serve 2-year terms. In most states, they can serve an unlimited number of terms. © EMC Publishing, LLC

Your Turn House Apportionment in 2000s and Estimates for 2010s Note to teachers: The answer to both questions is 435. The number of seats in the House remains constant at 435. That number is reapportioned, or redistributed, among the states every ten years, and the number of representatives from a particular state may increase or decrease depending on changes in state populations. How many seats did the House have in the year 2000? How many seats will it have in 2010? © EMC Publishing, LLC

The Question of Term Limits Some people want to limit the number of terms that a member of Congress can serve. Supporters say that term limits would draw in new representatives with new ideas, lower the costs of campaigns, and lessen the influence of interest groups. Opponents say that with term limits, members would still compete for seats, candidates would still need funds, and members would still make deals to get legislation passed. © EMC Publishing, LLC

Discipline in Congress Congress has the authority to discipline or punish members. Congress’s most serious punishment is expulsion, or removal from office. Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote by the members of the proper chamber. Expulsion has been used in two types of cases: Disloyalty to the U.S. government Violation of a criminal law involving abuse of power © EMC Publishing, LLC

Discipline in Congress Congress can also censure members with a formal majority vote of disapproval. Censure does not remove the congressperson from office. Members fear censure because it can severely limit their effectiveness and chances for reelection. Some members of Congress have resigned rather than face discipline. © EMC Publishing, LLC

Gerrymandering Gerrymandering is drawing district lines to benefit some groups and hurt others. To decrease gerrymandering, the Supreme Court ruled that districts must be contiguous and of equal population. In pro-incumbent gerrymandering, districts are redrawn to favor people already in office. In partisan gerrymandering, districts are redrawn to favor a particular political party. In racial gerrymandering, districts are redrawn to favor or harm an ethnic or racial group. © EMC Publishing, LLC

Racial Gerrymandering Racial gerrymandering was traditionally used to favor whites over African Americans. The 1965 Voting Rights Act was passed to protect minority rights and stop practices such as gerrymandering. Since 1982, district lines have been drawn to increase the chances that minorities will be elected to Congress. In the new majority-minority districts, African Americans or Hispanics make up the majority. This photo is of House Representative Mel Watt, North Carolina, 12th district. © EMC Publishing, LLC

Your Turn The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that districts redrawn on the basis of race are subject to strict scrutiny. This means: The redrawing must fulfill a compelling state purpose, whether it harms or benefits the racial group. Race can be considered when redrawing a district, but it cannot be the only factor. Note to teachers: The Court will also consider economic influences, population generally (not based on ethnicity), partisan rights, and geography. What other factors (besides race) do you think the Court wants taken into account when redrawing a district? © EMC Publishing, LLC