ALL ABOUT CONGRESS THE BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE Unit 5 Review for AP Government By: Maddy Collins and Deanna Pierce

POWERS OF CONGRESS Set and collect taxes Place duties and excises Pay debts Create law Regulate commerce Coin money Establish post offices Declare war Legislative oversight: monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administering of policy, performed through hearings Implied powers with the elastic clause or “necessary and proper” clause What does Congress have the power to do?

HOUSE V. SENATE House Create budget bills Size is dependent of population on state Currently 435 representatives Senate Confirm budget bills Two Senators for each state (making 100 Senators total) Vice Presidents presides Doesn’t vote unless there is a tie Speaker of the House Presides 2nd in line for presidency Elections every 2 years Chooses the president if the electoral college isn’t able to 1/3 is elected every 2 years Approve appointments made by the President (takes a majority vote) Approve treaties made by the President (takes 2/3) Try impeachments

LEADERS Speaker of the House Position is mandated by the Constitution Leader of the House of Representatives Chosen by majority party 2 nd in line to presidency Majority Leader Ally of the Speaker of the House Party’s “wheel horse” in the Senate Responsible for scheduling bills, influencing committee assignments, and rounding up votes on behalf of the party’s legislative positions Minority Leader Principle leader of the minority party in the House of Reps

TACTICS Casework Members of Congress working to get what their constituents desire “cutting the bureaucratic red tape” Pork Barrel Items that are passed to provide funds and project’s for the representatives home district or state Logrolling Mutual aid & vote trading between legislators “I’ll vote for your bill if you support mine” Franking Privilege Free use of the mail system to communicate with their constituents Machines duplicate their signatures in real ink

ROLES OF REPRESENTATION Trustee: Legislators use best judgment to make decisions on policy for the people Delegate : Representatives mirror the preferences of their constituents (person who is represented) Politico : The combination of trustee and delegate roles of representation Mirrors preferences and uses best judgment

FILIBUSTER V. CLOTURE Filibuster Strategy unique to the Senate Opponents to a piece of legislation talk it to death Prevents the Senate from voting on a bill Cloture 60 members need to be present They vote to stop a filibuster

CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING V. GERRYMANDERING Congressional Redistricting Process of redrawing boundaries Occurs when a state has more reps than districts Gerrymandering Redrawing districts to benefit the majority party Want the max number of seats for their candidate State legislatures redraw them

COMMITTEES Conference Formed when the House and Senate pass a single bill in different forms Party leadership chooses members to work out the differences to create a single bill Essentially compromises Standing Has specific tasks Each House has them Handle bills in different policy areas Permanent Ex: House Ways and Means, Agri. Select Temporary Investigative Created for a specific purpose Ex: Watergate Investigation Joint Few subject- matter areas Membership is from both houses Ex: joint committee on printing, taxation

HOUSE RULES V. HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS House Rules: Located in the House of Rep. Reviews bills before they go to the full House House Ways and Means Handles tax bills Works with the budget Members on this committee cannot serve on any other one

INFLUENCES OF CONGRESS PACs Interest Groups Constituents media President Foreign Countries