1. Chapter 10 Notes Congress
American Citizenship
Chapter 10 Notes
Congress

2. Section 1
The National Legislature

3. A Bicameral Congress
The U.S. is considered a “Representative Democracy”
Representatives of the people are responsible for the day-to-day work of government
Article 1 of the constitution sets down the guidelines for the U.S. Representative Democracy
Known as Congress
Historical
Learned about bicameral congress from Britain

4. A Bicameral Congress (Con’t)
Practical
Framers created the bicameral also in order to appease both the big states (Virginia Plan) and the small States (New Jersey Plan)
Theoretical
Bicameral also helped to help keep the Legislative branch from becoming to powerful

5. Terms and Sessions Terms of Congress
Each term of Congress lasts for two years and numbered consecutively
Changed with the 20th Amendment
Now Congress terms begin noon of the 3rd day of January, and last for two years

6. Terms and Sessions (Con’t)
A session of Congress is when Congress assembles and conducts business
Congress adjourns until the next session
However, in order for one house to adjourn, the other must approve
President can prorogue, or adjourn Congress if they cannot come to agreement on date to adjourn
Special Sessions
Only the President can call Congress into a special session
Meeting to deal with some emergency
The President can also call each house separately into special session

7. Section 2
The House of Representatives

8. Size and Terms
The Exact size of the House is not fixed by the constitution
Currently it is 435 members
However each seat in the House must be apportioned among the states on the basis of their respective populations
Distributed
Could change with the coming Census in 2010
Representative must be chosen every second year
Thus they serve for two-year terms
No term-limit for members of Congress

9. Reapportionment
Redistribute the seats in the House after each decennial census
Originally there were 65 House Seats in the 1790’s
A Growing Nation
The census of 1910 brought the number of House members to 435

10. Reapportionment (Con’t)
The Reapportionment Act of 1929
Created the “permanent” size of the House to 435
However they could still change it
After each census, the Census Bureau determines the apportionment
Once the plan is ready, the President sends it to Congress
If no action is taken on it within 60 days, it becomes law

11. Congressional Elections
Constitution allows each state to determine it’s date for congressional elections
Date
However, since 1872, Congress required that the elections be held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November in even number years
Off-Year Elections
Those congressional elections that occur in the nonpresidential years
Party-in-power tends to lose power in the off-year elections
party that holds the presidency

12. Congressional Elections (Con’t)
Districts
The Constitution does not call for congressional districts
Today all congressional districts are single-member districts
only one person is voted for that district
Congress allowed each state to determine their own size of their congressional district
however it needed to be appropriate in size and population

13. Congressional Elections (Con’t)
Gerrymandering
Congressional districts that have been drawn to the advantage of the political party that controls the state’s legislature
Very prevalent today
Two major ways used
To concentrate opposing voters into a few districts
Spread the opposing voters thin throughout all districts
Could even use Gerrymandering on the urban versus rural population of states

14. Congressional Elections (Con’t)
Wesberry v. Sanders, 1964
Supreme Court ruled that the population differences among congressional districts were so great as to violate the Constitution
Did not stop Gerrymandering, but forced a little more representative of each individual

15. Qualifications of House Members
Formal Qualifications
Must be at least 25 years of age
Must have been a citizen of the U.S. for at least 7 years
Must be an inhabitant of the State from which they are elected
Generally speaking, they must also live in the district for which they are elected
The House is responsible for judging elections of member-elects
The House can also punish members for “disorderly behavior”

16. Qualifications of House Members (Con’t)
Informal Qualifications
Have to do with a candidates vote getting abilities
party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics, and political experience

17. Section 3
The Senate

18. Size, Election and Terms
The Senate is often called the “Upper House”
Size
The Constitution calls of their to be two senators for every state
Today the U.S. has 100 senators
Election
Originally the Constitution provided that the members of the Senate were to be chose by the State legislatures
17th amendment changed it to be popular vote for Senate positions

19. Size, Election and Terms (Con’t)
Senators serve for six-year terms with no term-limits
The Senate is a continuous body
All the seats are never up for election at the same time
Only a third of senator seats are elected for every two years
With the six-year term, less likely to be persuaded by public opinion and more likely to see the “big picture”
In recent history, the Senate has provided a great deal of president candidates

20. Qualifications for Senators
A senator must be at least 30 years of age
Must have been a citizen of the U.S. for at least 9 years
Must be an inhabitant of the state from which they are elected
Like the House, the Senate can punish individuals for “disorderly conduct”

21. Section 4
The Members of Congress

22. Personal and Political Backgrounds
There is a variety of different cultures represented in the Congress
However they tend to be White males, over the age of 50

23. The Job They play five major roles Representatives of the People
Legislators
Representatives of their constituents
Committee members
Servants of their constituents
Politicians
Representatives of the People
Trustees
believe that each question they face must be decided on its merits
make decisions based on independent judgment, and not on views held by their constituents

24. The Job (Con’t) Representatives of the People (Con’t) Delegates
see themselves as agents of those who elected them
tend to vote on the views held by their constituents
Partisans
they feel duty-bound to vote in line with the party platform and wishes of their party’s leaders
Most prevalent today
Politicos
attempt to combine the basic elements of the previous three

25. The Job (Con’t) Committee Members Servants
Proposed laws (bills) are referred to committees in each chamber
as committee members, they screen the proposals
Also serve an oversight function
check to see that various agencies in the executive branch are working effectively and legally
Servants
Meet the needs of their constituents on a federal level

26. Compensation
Salary
Senators and representatives are paid a salary of $155,000 a year
Speaker of the House makes $193,500 a year
President Pro Tem and the majority and minority floor leaders in both houses receive $167,500 a year

27. Compensation (Con’t) Nonsalary Compensation
Each member receives a special tax deduction
Generous travel allowances
Good life and health insurance
Retirement plan
Receive an office in either House or Senate office building near the Capitol
Given funds to hire staff and operation costs
Franking privilege
allows them to mail letters and other materials postage-free by substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for the postage
Also gymnasiums, pools, parking, advertisement, etc.

28. Compensation (Con’t) The Politics of Pay Membership Privileges
Very difficult for Congress to increase their pay
President veto, and unhappiness from constituents
Membership Privileges
Cannot be arrested while their branch is in session
Also maintain legislative immunity