1. Congress:
The Legislative
Branch

2. Basic Information
Since you get new Representatives every 2 years, we call each 2 year period a “term” in the House
The terms are numbered consecutively…
Right now we are in the 115th Congress

3. Basic Information
Special session is a meeting to deal with some emergency situation (only 27 special sessions in history)
Only the President can call Congress into a special session
Most recent special session was in 1948, ordered by Pres. Harry Truman after WWII, to address the soaring cost of living

4. Bicameral Congress
Our Congress is bicameral, meaning it has two houses
The larger house, which is supposedly the “common man’s house,” is the House of Representatives
The smaller house, which is for “the elite” of America is the Senate

5. Founding Fathers’ Intent
The Founding Fathers wanted to have one house that would quickly respond to the desires of the public (House of Reps)
And one house that would be moderate, and stop any crazy nonsense the House would try (Senate)

6. Comparative Government: Legislative Bodies

7. Members of the House of Representatives
Official title is “Representative (last name)
Also called “congressman”
435 members of the “House”
Elected to 2-year term

8. What Does it Take to be in the House?
25 years old
U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
Must live in the state you are elected
The realities of politics also require some informal qualifications, such as party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics, and political experience

9. The House of Representatives
House of Reps.

10. The House of Representatives

11. Members of the Senate Official title is “Senator (last name)”
100 Senators (2 from each state)
Senators are elected to 6 year term
The Senate is a continuous body, meaning that all of its seats are never up for election at the same time.

12. What Does it Take to be in the Senate?
30 Years Old
U.S. Citizen for 9 Years
Must live in the state you are elected in

13. The Senate
The Senate

14. The Senate

15. Seats in the House
Seats are apportioned (given out) to each state based on population
Every 10 years seats are reapportioned after the census, when a new count of the population is taken
Ever since 1929, the number has been 435 (Reapportionment Act)

16. Seats in the House
Every state divides itself into districts based on the number of seats apportioned to the state
For example, Arizona is given 9 seats based on our population

17. Current House Apportionment (2014)

18. Our Reps
onal_districts

20. Districts and Gerrymandering
Under the single- member district arrangement, the voter’s in each district elect one of the State’s representatives.
com/watch?v=Mky11 UJb9AY
Districts that have unusual shapes or even defy description have sometimes been gerrymandered.
Gerrymandering refers to the act of drawing congressional districts to the advantage of the political party that controls the State legislature.

21. Congressional Elections
Congressional elections are held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year.
Off-year elections are those congressional elections held between presidential elections.
President’s party usually loses seats in Congress (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)

22. Demographics of Congress
Congress is not at all demographically representative of the U.S. population
For example…

23. Profile of the 107th Congress

24. However, things are changing:
114th Congress – Most diverse group yet
104 Women and 91 Minorities in Congress
Three Latino, two African American, one Pacific Islander and 20 women in the U.S. Senate.
In the U.S. House, there are currently 85 minorities, 84 women and six openly LGBT members
Tim Scott (R) was the first African American Senator elected from South Carolina since reconstruction
Congresswoman Mia Love, Republican from Utah, is making history as the first black Republican woman in Congress.
3 States with two women Senators (California, New Hampshire and Washington)

25. Party Breakdown in the 115th Congress

26. Compensation
Senators and Representatives are paid $174,000 a year. Speaker of the House and the Senate’s president pro tem, are paid more.
The franking privilege allows members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free by substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for the postage.
The Constitution says that Congress fixes its own “compensation.” Therefore, the only real limits to congressional pay are the President’s veto and fear of voter backlash against a pay increase.

27. Membership Privileges
Members of Congress are immune from arrest for noncriminal offenses while engaged in congressional business.
More importantly, the Speech and Debate Clause (Article I, Section 6, Clause 1) protects representatives and senators from suits for libel or slander arising from their official conduct.

28. Terms & Sessions
Session: time period congress meets and assembles to do business
Convenes: Begins (usually in January)
Adjourns: suspends until next session (changed over time)
Recess: Several short periods of breaks in a session.