1. CONGRESS SENATE HOUSE OF REPS SIX YEAR TERMS TWO YEAR TERMS BICAMERAL
100 MEMBERS
435 MEMBERS
MOVES SLOWLY
POWERFUL
LEADER
EACH STATE IS EQUAL
STATES WITH BIG POPULATIONS RULE
FEWER MEMBERS MEAN THEY MUST BE KNOWLEGIBLE ON MANY SUBJECTS
MORE MEMBERS MEAN THEY CAN BE SPECIALIST IN CERTAIN AREAS

2. CONGRESS
CONGRESS WAS ESTABLISHED WITH ARTICLE ONE OF THE CONSTITUTION.
CONGRESS RECEIVED MORE POWERS THAN THE OTHER TWO BRANCHES.
CONGRESS WAS MADE BICAMERAL WHICH HELPS SPREAD OUT THE POWER THEY WERE GIVEN.
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN THE WAY THEY OPERATE AND THE MEMBERS FOUND INSIDE.

3. TERMS OF CONGRESS
EVERY TWO YEARS, A NEW CONGRESS MEETS FOR A TWO YEAR TERM.
ON 3 JANUARY, THE NEW CONGRESS IS SWORN IN AND THEY BEGIN WHAT IS CALLED A ONE YEAR SESSION.
EACH TERM CONSISTS OF TWO SESSIONS WHICH LAST ONE YEAR EACH.
SESSIONS COME TO AN END WHEN CONGRESS DECIDES TO ADJOURN UNTIL THE NEXT SESSION.

4. MEMBERSHIP IN THE HOUSE
THE HOUSE OF REPS HAS 435 MEMBERS.
EACH STATE RECIEVES A PROPORTION OF THESE 435 BASED ON POPULATION.
CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, FLORIDA, AND NEW YORK HAVE MORE THAN 1/3 OF ALL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
MEMBERS ARE ELECTED IN SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS. THIS MEANS EACH MEMBER REPRESENTS THEIR OWN CARVED OUT DISTRICT.

5. QUALIFICATIONS FOR HOUSE OF REPS
FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS
INFORMAL QUALIFICATIONS
MUST BE 25 YEARS OF AGE
MUST HAVE BEEN A U.S. CITIZEN FOR 7 YEARS
MUST BE FROM THE STATE WHERE YOU WERE ELECTED
FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS ARE FOUND IN THE CONSTITUTION. (ART 1)
THESE ARE DIFFERENT IN EVERY DISTRICT.
THESE ARE NOT FOUND IN THE CONSTITUTION.
THESE MIGHT BE PARTY IDENTIFICATION, RELIGION, RACE, OR GENDER.
THE RIGHT ONES CAN HELP YOU WIN BUT THE WRONG ONES WILL DEFINITELY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE.

6. SIZE AND TERMS FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE HOUSE OF REPS HAS 435 MEMBERS WHO SERVE TWO YEAR TERMS. EACH REPRESENTATIVE SERVES A DISTRICT WITH A POPULATION OF AROUND 650, 000 PERSONS.
SEVEN STATES HAVE ONLY ONE REPRESENTIVE BECAUSE OF POPULATION (EACH STATE IS GUARANTEED ONE REP).
TERRITORIES ARE ALLOWED REPRESENTATIVES BUT THEY CANNOT VOTE.

7. REAPPORTIONMENT
REAPPORTIONMENT IS WHEN THE 435 DISTRICTS ARE REDISTRIBUTED AMONG THE 50 STATES.
THIS IS REQUIRED TO BE DONE EVERY TEN YEARS BY THE CONSTITUTION AFTER THE CENSUS IS TAKEN.
STATES THAT LOSE POPULATION LOSE DISTRICTS TO STATES THAT GAIN POPULATION.

8. CENSUS AND REAPPORTIONMENT
THE CENSUS IS TAKEN EVERY TEN YEARS TO STUDY HOW PEOPLE MOVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THE REAPPORTIONMENT ACT OF 1929 REQUIRES THAT THE CENSUS BUREAU RE-ALLOCATE SEATS IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS. SOME STATES GAIN, SOME LOSE, SOME STAY THE SAME.
EACH STATE HAS IT’S OWN LEGISLATURE DRAW UP THE DISTRICTS THEY ARE GIVEN BY THE NEW CENSUS FIGURES.

9. REDISTRICTING RULES
AFTER STATES FIND OUT HOW MANY DISTRICTS THEY WILL HAVE, EACH STATE LEGISLATURE DRAWS THE DISTRICT BOUNDERIES FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
THIS PROCESS IS CALLED REDISTRICTING.
THIS MEANS THE PARTY THAT CONTROLS THE STATE LEGISLATURES HAS ENORMOUS INFLUENCE ON CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS BECAUSE THEY DRAW DISTRICTS IN A WAY THAT HELPS THEIR CANDIDATES.

10. GERRYMANDERING
GERRYMANDERING IS THE DRAWING OF ODD SHAPED DISTRICTS BY THE PARTY IN POWER IN ORDER TO WIN THE ELECTIONS.
SOME DISTRICTS HAVE ODD SHAPES AS THESE STATE LEGISLATURES TRY HARD TO MINIMIZE THE POWER OF THE OTHER PARTY AND TO MAXIMIZE THEIR OWN PARTY POWER.

11. MEMBERSHIP IN THE SENATE
THE SENATE IS COMPOSED OF TWO MEMBERS FROM EACH STATE.
THIS MEANS EACH STATE HAS EQUAL REPRESENTATION REGARDLESS OF POPULATION.
THIS MEANS WE HAVE 100 SENATORS AS OPPOSED TO 435 MEMBERS IN THE HOUSE OF REPS.
BECAUSE THERE ARE FEWER MEMBERS, THE SENATORS ARE WELL KNOWN BY NAME.

12. WAYS OF THE SENATE
SENATE MEMBERS REPRESENT THE ENTIRE STATE. WE DO NOT SPLIT EACH STATE INTO TWO DISTRICTS LIKE WE WOULD FOR THE HOUSE OF REPS. THIS MEANS THEY ARE ELECTED AT-LARGE.
SENATORS DISTRICTS CAN’T CHANGE EVERY TEN YEARS LIKE IN THE HOUSE OF REPS.
SENATORS SERVE SIX YEAR TERMS AND TEND TO BE OLDER AND MORE EXPERIENCED THAN THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPS.

13. QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE SENATE
SENATORS MUST BE AT LEAST 30 YEARS OLD
SENATORS MUST HAVE BEEN U.S. CITIZENS FOR OVER NINE YEARS
SENATORS MUST BE RESIDENTS OF THE STATE THEY REPRESENT
THE INFORMAL QUALIFICATIONS ARE USUALLY LESS IMPORTANT IN THE HOUSE OF REPS ELECTIONS.

14. HOW TERMS AFFECT BEHAVIOUR
SINCE THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE GO UP FOR REELECTION EVERY TWO YEARS, THEY REACT MORE TO PUBLIC OPINION IN THEIR DISTRICT.
SENATORS ON THE OTHER HAND ONLY COME UP FOR REELECTION EVERY SIX YEARS AND CAN AFFORD TO OVERLOOK PUBLIC OPINION ON CERTAIN VOTES.
THE CONSTITUTION SET IT UP THAT WAY TO HAVE ONE HOUSE OF CONGRESS THAT WAS SWAYED MORE BY PUBLIC OPINION THAN THE OTHER.

15. BILLS BILLS ARE PROPOSED NEW LAWS THAT MEMBERS WANT TO PASS.
98% OF ALL NEW BILLS NEVER MAKE IT TO A FULL VOTE IN BOTH HOUSES.
WHEN A BILL IS PROPOSED IT MUST GO THROUGH BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS.
A NEW BILL IS ASSIGNED TO A COMMITTEE WHERE IT IS DEBATED. IF IT PASSES A COMMITTEE VOTE IT NEEDS TO BE SCHEDULED FOR DEBATE BY ALL THE MEMBERS. AFTER THE DEBATE IS CLOSED, ALL MEMBERS VOTE THE NEW BILL UP OR DOWN. THIS MUST BE DONE IN BOTH HOUSES.
MAJORITY PARTY LEADERS CAN PULL A BILL AT ANY TIME BEFORE THE FINAL VOTE WHICH KILLS THE LAW AT THAT POINT.

16. COMMITTEES IN CONGRESS
BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE USE COMMITTEES TO REDUCE THE WORKLOAD AND SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF LAW MAKING.
WHEN A NEW LAW IS PROPOSED (BILL), THE LEADERS ASSIGN IT TO A COMMITTEE TO BE WRITTEN AND VOTED ON BY THE MEMBERS.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE CHOSEN BY THE PARTIES WITH THE MAJOFRITY PARTY GETTING THE MOST MEMBERS.
MOST BILLS WILL DIE IN THE COMMITTEE WHEN THEY EITHER DON’T GET VOTED ON OR DON’T GET A MAJORITY TO GET OUT OF THE COMMITTEE.

17. LEADERS IN THE HOUSE OF REPS
THE 2ND MOST POWERFUL POSTION IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDES OVER THE HOUSE, IS NEXT LINE TO THE PRESIDENCY, AND CONTROLS EVERY BILL THAT COMES THROUGH CONGRESS. THIS JOB UNLIKE OTHER LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IS AN ACTUAL GOVERNMENT POSITION AND NOT JUST A PARTY LEADERSHIP POSITION.
HE IS THE LEADER OF HIS PARTY IN THE HOUSE AND IS CHOSEN BY THE MAJORITY PARTY.
HE SCHEDULES VOTES, CONSULTS WITH COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN, AND AT ANY TIME DECIDE TO KILL A BILL BY NOT ALLOWING A VOTE TO PASS IT.

18. LEADERS IN THE HOUSE
MAJORITY LEADER – CHOSEN BY THE MAJORITY PARTY AS THEIR LEADER. THIS PERSON THE THE ASSISTANT TO THE SPEAKER.
MINORITY LEADER – CHOSEN BY THE MINORITY PARTY AS THEIR LEADER. ONLY HAS POWER WITHIN THE PARTY.
MAJORITY WHIP – GETS PARTY MEMBERS IN LINE FOR VOTES ON BILLS.
MINORITY WHIP – GETS PARTY MEMBERS IN LINE FOR VOTES ON BILLS.
THESE 4 POSITIONS ARE PARTY LEADERSHIP AND NOT A REAL GOVERNMENT POSTION LIKE THE SPEAKER. THE MINORITY PARTY POSITIONS HAVE NO POWER IN THE RUNNING OF THE HOUSE.

19. LAW MAKING IN THE HOUSE
THE HOUSE OF REPS MOVES THEIR WORK QUICKLY BECAUSE THE RULES ALLOW FOR A STRONG LEADER (SPEAKER).
THE SPEAKER CAN LIMIT DEBATE TO ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO FIFTEEN MINUTES.
THE SPEAKER CAN PULL BILLS THEY DON’T LIKE OR WOULD EMBARRASS A MEMBER.
COMMITTEES KILL OVER 80% OF ALL BILLS BEFORE THEY CAN EVEN BE HEARD.
ALL OF THESE ALLOW THE HOUSE TO WORK QUICKLY!

20. LEADERS IN THE SENATE
COMPARED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, THERE IS NOBODY IN THE SENATE WITH THAT KIND OF POWER.
THE VICE PRESIDENT PRESIDES OVER THE SENATE BUT CANNOT CONTROL BILLS, VOTES, OR SCHEDULES. THEY ONLY VOTE IF THERE IS A TIE.
THE REAL LEADER IS THE MAJORITY LEADER WHO SCHEDULES VOTES, ASSIGNS BILLS TO COMMITTEES AND CAN PULL BILLS FROM BEING VOTED ON.

21. LEADERS IN THE SENATE
MAJORITY LEADER- THE TRUE LEADER OF THE HOUSE. CONTROLS SCHEDULES AND DEBATES ON NEW BILLS. CHOSEN BY MAJORITY PARTY.
MINORITY LEADER – LEADS THE MINORITY PARTY IN THE SENATE.
THE LACK OF POWER OF THE LEADERSHIP MEANS THE SENATE WORKS SLOWER THAN THE HOUSE.
LEADERS CANNOT LIMIT DEBATE WHICH CAN GO ON AND ON.

22. FILIBUSTER! A FILIBUSTER IS A TACTIC USED TO STOP A VOTE ON A BILL.
ONE MEMBER CAN TALK ON AND ON UNTIL THE LEADERS ARE FORCED TO REMOVE THE BILL FROM CONSIDERATION.
TO END THE FILIBUSTER, THE MAJORITY LEADER CAN CALL FOR A CLOTURE VOTE.
THE CLOTURE RESOLUTION MUST RECEIVE 60 VOTES OUT OF A 100 TO END THE FILIBUSTER.