1. Welcome! Seng AP Government
What’s the opposite of Congress? PROGRESS

2. Constitutional review of congress
Basis of Constitutional authority is found in Article I
Important powers: levy taxes, coin money, declare war, regulate commerce
Implied powers
Overrides vetoes w/ 2/3s majority

3. Hard work; rigorous schedule Powerful position
The job…
Hard work; rigorous schedule
Powerful position
Office space in Washington and at home
Congressional staff
Travel allowances
Franking

4. The Members
535 Members
100 Senators
435 Representatives

5. House Senate Requirements At least 25 years of age
American citizen for seven years
Resident of the district from which you are elected
Senate
At least 30 years of age
American citizen for nine years
Resident of the state from which you are elected

6. Typical Prior Occupations…
Law
Business
Education
Public service
Agriculture
Journalism
Real Estate
Medicine

7. Congressional Elections
Held every two years in November
Who wins? INCUMBENTS
Incumbency advantage stronger in the House than in the Senate

8. Incumbency Advantages
Name Recognition
Credit Claiming
Position-Taking
Weak opponents
Campaign spending
Experience in running a prior, successful campaign

9. When an incumbent decides not to run again, the seat is open
Open Seats
When an incumbent decides not to run again, the seat is open
Greater likelihood of competition

10. Gerrymandering
Baker v. Carr (1962)
Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)

11. Money in Congressional Elections
Most congressional campaign funds come from individual contributions, but about one-third come from PACs
PACs usually support incumbents

12. How Congress is organized…
Bicameral legislature
A legislature divided into two houses

13. Key Differences House Senate
6-year term
100
Relaxed
Generalist
Foreign policy
2-year term
435
Formal
Specialist
Tax policy

14. House Rules Committee House Unique to the House
Reviews bills coming from committee before they go to the full House
Schedules time for debate
POWERFUL
Remember, with 435 members, there has to be strict control of debate

15. Senate
Filibuster – strategy unique to Senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation try to talk it to death
Sixty members present and voting can halt a filibuster by voting for cloture

16. Speaker of the House Chosen by the majority party
Second in line of succession for the presidency
Presides over the House when in session
Recognizes members who desire the floor
Major role in making committee assignments
Appoints party leadership
Exercises control over which bills get assigned to which committees

17. Responsible for Majority Leader Scheduling bills
Influencing committee assignments
Rounding up votes in behalf of the party’s legislative positions
Serving as a spokesperson for party positions and interests
Serving as an intermediary in both intraparty and interparty negotiations

18. Leader of the minority party in the House or Senate
Minority Leader
Leader of the minority party in the House or Senate
Essentially does the same things the majority leader does but only regarding the minority party

19. Whips
Work with the Majority or Minority Leaders to count votes beforehand and lean on ‘maybes’ whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party

20. When members of Congress exchange support
Logrolling
When members of Congress exchange support

21. Four Types of Committees
Standing committees
separate subject-matter committees that handle bills in different policy areas [in both houses]

22. Four Types of Committees
Joint committees
committees on a few policy areas with membership from both houses

23. Four Types of Committees
Conference committees
formed when Senate and House pass a bill in different forms
they hammer out the differences and report back to each house with a compromise bill

24. Four Types of Committees
Select committees
appointed for a specific purpose

25. Bills, Omnibus legislation, Riders
Bill - proposed law, drafted in precise, legal language
Omnibus legislation – miscellaneous bill
Riders – stipulations attached to a bill, oftentimes does not relate to the content of the bill

26. Play a huge role in the committee agenda
Committee Chairs
Play a huge role in the committee agenda
Schedule hearings, hire staff, appoint subcommittees, manage bills when brought to the House floor
Seniority used to determine who would chair a committee, not this is not necessarily the case

27. How a bill becomes a law A bill is drafted and introduced in the
House of Representatives
and the Senate
The bill is referred to
the House Committee
The bill is referred to the Senate Committee
The bill is referred to the House Subcommittee
The bill is referred to the Senate Subcommittee
House Committee Hearing
Senate Committee Hearing
House Subcommittee/
Committee mark up
Senate Subcommittee/

28. Passes House Committee Passes Senate Committee
How a bill becomes a law
Passes House Committee
Passes Senate Committee
House Rules
Committees calendars
it for debate in the House
Calendared for
debate in the Senate
Floor debate
in the House
in the Senate
Full vote in the House
Full vote in the Senate
Conference committee
mark up
Second full vote

29. If president vetoes, 2/3 majority of both houses overrules
How a bill becomes a law
Bill is sent
to the President
President signs
or Vetoes
If president vetoes, 2/3 majority of both houses overrules
LAW

30. What does this process mean for Congress?
Congress is slow
Congress is negative
It is easier to stop legislation than to pass it
Politicians need to be more pragmatic than principled for things to get done
Have to reach a compromise for the process to work

31. Legislative Oversight
Process of monitoring the bureaucracy and its administration of policy
Handled through hearings

32. Congressional Caucus
A group of members of Congress sharing some interest or characteristic