1. The United States Congress

2. Overview Bicameral Legislative Body
Lower House – The U.S. House of Representatives
Representation based on population
Upper House - The U.S. Senate
Equal representation
All members of Congress
are chosen by direct
election.

3. U.S. House of Representatives
There are 435 members of the House
Each member serves for a 2 year term
Each state has representation in the House
The Number of Representatives per state is determined by the U.S. Census every 10 years (apportionment)

4. U.S. House of Representatives
Qualifications
25 years of age
7 years of U.S. citizenship
1 year of residency in the district you are running for prior to the election

5. U.S. House of Representatives
Officers
Speaker of the House
Speaker Pro Tempore
Majority Floor Leader
Majority Whip
Minority Floor Leader
Minority Whip

6. Make–Up of Congress

7. U.S. Senate There are 100 members of the Senate
2 per state – equal representation
Senators serve a 6 year term
1/3 of the Senate is up for re-election every 2 years
Continuous body

8. U.S. Senate Qualifications 30 years of age 9 years of U.S. citizenship
Resident of the state for 1 year prior to the election

9. Officers President of the Senate President Pro Tempore
Majority Floor Leader
Majority Whip
Minority Floor Leader
Minority Whip

10. Powers and Duties of Congress
Types of Powers
Expressed – Clearly defined in the Constitution (the power to declare war)
Implied – Hinted at in the Constitution (the Necessary and Proper Clause)
Denied – Forbidden in the Constitution (the power to grant titles of nobility)
All of the powers of Congress are in Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution

11. The Expressed Powers Power to lay and collect taxes To borrow money
To regulate commerce
To establish a uniform laws on naturalization
To establish uniform laws on bankruptcies
To coin money
To fix the standard of weights and measures
To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting
To establish Post Offices
To promote the Arts and Sciences
To punish piracy on the high seas
To declare war
To maintain the military and militias

12. The Implied Powers
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper
(necessary and proper clause, elastic clause)

13. The Denied Powers May not violate the Bill of Rights
May not impose export taxes among states
May not use money from the Treasury without the passage and approval of an appropriations bill
May not change state boundaries
May not choose a port of preference
Grant titles of nobility
Permit slavery (13th Amendment)
Deny citizens the right to vote due to race, color, or previous servitude (15th Amendment)
Deny citizens the right to vote because of gender (19th Amendment)

14. Checks and Balances
The Legislative Branch is given the powers to make the laws. It has the following checks over the Executive Branch:
May override presidential vetoes with a two-thirds vote
Has the power over the purse strings to actually fund any executive actions
May remove the president through impeachment
Senate approves treaties
Senate approves presidential appointments

15. Checks and Balances
The Legislative Branch has the following checks over the Judicial Branch:
Creates lower courts
May remove judges through impeachment
Senate approves appointments of judges

16. How a Bill Becomes a Law

17. Committee System Types of Committees Standing - ongoing
Select/Special – short term
Joint (Conference) – both House and Senate
Subcommittee – committee within a committee

18. Committee System Examples of Senate Standing Committees
Committees of the Senate
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Armed Services
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Budget
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Energy and Natural Resources
Environment and Public Works Foreign Relations
Labor and Pensions  
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Rules and Administration
Business Veterans' Affairs

19. Sessions
A term of Congress is divided into two "sessions", one for each year.
The Current Congress is the 111th Congress in its 2nd Session.

20. Special Interest Groups
also know as pressure groups, lobby groups
groups of people who share a singular common purpose
N.O.W., F.O.P., N.R.A., Oil Companies
try to influence the government

21. Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States.
It is the largest library in the world by shelf space and number of books.

22. Library of Congress It was established by Congress in 1800.
Much of the original collection had been destroyed during the War of 1812.
In 1815, Thomas Jefferson sold 6487 books, his entire personal collection, to the library.

23. Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress.
It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session.

24. Pay Determined by Congress itself. Currently - $174,000 per year
The 27th Amendment prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of the Congress from taking effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for Representatives.
It is the most recent amendment to the United States Constitution, having been ratified in 1992, more than 202 years after its initial submission in 1789.

25. Typical Congressman
White
Male
40 – 60 years old
Married
Christian

26. Demographics The average age is 58.2 years.
95 women serve in the 111th Congress: 78 in the House of Representatives and 17 in the Senate.
41 African American members of the House and none in the Senate.
31 Latino members serving: 28 in the House and three in the Senate.
11 members (seven Representatives, two Delegates, and two Senators) are Asian or Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander.
1 Native American serves in Congress (in the House).

27. Capital Building

28. Congressional Terminology