1. Chapter 10 – Congress Section 1 – The National Legislature
Section 4 – The Members of Congress
Section 2 – The House of Representatives
Section 3 – The Senate

2. Section 1 – The National Legislature

3. Section 1 Vocab
Term Session Special session

11. Class Discussion What is your opinion of Congress?
Do you think they do a good job? Bad job?
What do you think the job of Congress is?

12. The National Legislature
Will Rogers – “Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a Congressman. But I repeat myself.”
Congress has the responsibility to turn public will into public policy in a way that respects the rights of each person.
Article I Section 1 of the Constitution reads “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”

13. Bicameralism What is bicameralism? Bicameralism comes from Federalism
Each state is equally represented in Senate, population in the House.
Should equal representation be scrapped as undemocratic?
Alaska population of 600,000. California 35 million people.

14. Terms and Sessions of Congress
Each term of Congress lasts 2 years.
1st one – March 4th 1789 to March 4th st Congress.
20th Amendment changed the start date for a new term.
Now is “noon on the 3rd day of January.”
Currently is the 116th Congress, 1st session.
There are 2 sessions to each term of Congress (1 year each).
Congress stays in session for most of the year.
Before WWII it was 4-5 months.
Congress can meet in Special Sessions when called by the President, the last one called by President Truman in 1948.

15. Review Q’s What is the basic function of Congress?
What are historical, practical, and theoretical reasons for bicameralism?
Who has the power to call special sessions of Congress? Why has that power lost so much of its importance over recent decades?

16. Section 4 – The Members of Congress

18. Section 4 Vocab
Constituents
Oversight function

19. Personal and Political Backgrounds
Jeannette Rankin (R-Montana) first women to serve in Congress
Large majority are lawyers

20. Duties of the Job Legislators Committee members
Representatives of their constituents (?)
Servants of their constituents
Politicians
Constantly checking the other branches – oversight

21. Compensation - $$$ The Constitution allows Congress to set its own pay
1790 $6/day
Today - $174,000
Rank and file members
The Speaker makes the same as VP
Why?
Congressional Pay
A History of Congressional Pay

22. Some House/Senate Stats
116th Congressional Demographics

23. How to Find Your Representative
California Representatives
House of Representatives Website
Lancaster Zip Code –
Palmdale Zip Code –
U.S. Senate Website

24. How to Write Your Representative
Page 276 – how to write your representative
Google Docs has a blank format letter option
1 page, typed – single spaced
An issue that is important to you
20 points extra credit if you send your letter, and get a response
DUE MONDAY APRIL 1ST
Share via Google

25. Quick write
What kinds of skills and characteristics would your ideal representative have?

26. Section 2 – The House of Representatives
VOCAB
Apportion
Reapportion
Single member district
At-large
Gerrymander

27. House Leadership
Congressional Directory

30. Size and Terms House – 435 members. Set by Congress.
Reapportioned every 10 years.
Each state is guaranteed 1 representative.
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming only have 1.
The District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa elect a delegate to represent them in the House.
Puerto Rico sends a commissioner.
No vote
They do not count as members of the House

31. California’s U.S. Representative District Map
CA – 53 Congress people
Page 270
California's U.S. Representative Districts

32. California State Representative District Map

33. Size and Terms
The Constitution provides that “Representatives shall be chosen every 2nd year”
The next election always around the corner.
Hopes that means they pay attention to “the folks back home.”
There is no constitutional limit on the number of terms representatives may serve.

34. Reapportionment 1st – 2nd Congress – 65 seats
1792 – 41 seats to 106 seats
1800 – 142
1810 – 186
1910 – 435 seats
Reapportionment Act of 1929
“permanent” size of House is 435 (subject to change if Congress wishes)
The Census Bureau determines the number of seats each states should have
The President sends it to Congress
Within 60 days of receiving, if there are no complaints it becomes effective

35. Congressional Elections
Held on the same day in every state.
Held on the Tuesday following the 1st Monday in November.
Off-year elections – held in non-presidential election years.
2014 – last one
Next off-year election???
Party in power usually loses seats in off-year elections.
435 members = 435 districts
Pg Reapportionment
Pg. 271 Political Cartoon
Gerrymander – re-draw a district.

36. Qualifications for House Members
According to the Constitution:
Must be 25 years of age
Been a citizen for 7 years
Must be a inhabitant of the state from he or she is elected
Longstanding custom says that they must also live in the district they are trying to get elected from.
The House can refuse to seat members by majority vote.
Brigham H. Roberts of Utah – Polygamist – 1900
1969 – Powell v. McCormack House can’t exclude members that meet the requirements. Has not happened since.
4 Members expelled in 200 years.
Michael Myers in 1980 for corruption.

37. Section 3 Review Q’s How long is the term for a representative?
What did the Reapportionment Act of do?
What are the constitutional requirements for membership in the House?
What powers does the House have over the elections and qualifications of its members?

38. The Senate
SECTION 3 VOCAB
Continuous body

39. Senate Leadership
Congressional Directory
                                          
                                          

40. Election and Terms The “Upper House”
1/3 of Senators have served in the House
Prior to 1913 Senators were chosen by State Legislature
17th Amendment, 1913, meant the direct election of Senators.
Serve 6 year terms
Can be re-elected any number of times.
Elections are staggered, only 1/3 of terms run out at any time.
Why do you think Senators have a term x3 of the members of the House?
Focused on the big picture, unlike the House.
The Senate usually serves as prime source of contenders for presidential nominations.
The Senate is a continuous body, in that all seats are never up for election at once.

41. Qualifications for Senators
Higher level of qualifications than a Representative
30 years of age
Citizen for 9 years
Must be an inhabitant of the State in which he or she is elected.
15 members of the Senate have been expelled.
Pg. 272 – Interpreting Tables

42. Section 3 Review Q’s How many people now serve in the U.S. Senate
How is that number fixed?
What is the term of office for Senators?
How is the Senate a continuous body?
What are the constitutional qualifications for membership in the Senate?

43. Chapter 10 Bookwork
Page 286 #’s 1-10 (write out and underline term), 12,16,20,23