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Our National Legislature

Learn about the structure, terms, and elections of the U.S. Congress, including the House of Representatives and the Senate. Discover the powers and duties of Congress, as well as the different styles of voting on legislation.

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Our National Legislature

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  1. Our National Legislature Congress Ch.10

  2. CONGRESS • Our National legislature is bicameral/2 houses (Great Compromise). • Upper house = Senate, Lower House = House of Representatives. • Bicameral so each house can check each other.

  3. TERMS AND SESSIONS • A term of congress lasts for 2 years. A new term begins every odd numbered year on the 3rd day of January. Congress is in its 115thterm – Jan/3/2017-Jan/2/2019. • There are also two sessions (meetings) of Congress in each term (1/year). Since WWII a session of congress lasts most of the year. The president may call a Special session. (Pearl Harbor, Dec.8th)

  4. House of Representatives • There are 435 members of the House. These seats are apportioned (distributed) among the states based on their population. • Each state is guaranteed at least one seat in the House no matter their population. (AK, DE, MT, ND,SD,VT,WY, have only 1 rep.) • U.S. Territories have delegates to the House, but no members.

  5. Terms and Elections of the House • Each member of the house serves 2-year terms. Each member knows elections will take place soon. They spend much of their time campaigning, and constituentservice- [people of districts/ electorate-voters] • Congressional elections take place on the Tuesday, following the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. (general election) Off-year elections occur in the non-presidential years (between presidential elections)

  6. Census • Every 10 years after the Census (population count in states) is taken, Congress must reapportion (redistribute) the seats in the House. (1990:1993-2003 Ca.=52, 2000:2003-2013 Ca.=53, 2010: 2013-2023 = 53)

  7. Single Member Districts • Each state sets up Congressional Districts (voting districts) for every Rep. it has in the House. (Ca. 53 districts) • Gerrymandering - Redrawingdistrict lines to favor the political party in control of the state legislature, is common. • Let’s see…

  8. Ca. 29th District / gerrymandering???

  9. Qualifications of the Members in the House (3) • Members of the House must be at least 25 years of age. • citizen at least 7 years, and • live in the state he/she represents.

  10. Senate • Each state is given 2 Reps. in the Senate (Great Compromise). • There are 100 members in the Senate. • Senators serve 6-year terms. The reason is tomake Senators less subject to public pressure and other special interest groups (They don’t have to be so concerned with elections)

  11. Qualifications of Members in the Senate (3) • Senators must be at least 30 years of age. • citizen for 9 years, and • live in the state he/she represents.

  12. Congress • There are 535 members of Congress. • Each member makes $174,000/year. (2009-2014) [not including high ranking officials

  13. Duties of the Members in Congress (5) • (1) make laws/legislation, • (2) serve in committees, • (3) represent constituents (people of their states / districts) Who worries about constituents for state, district? • (4) serve their constituents, and • (5) be politicians.

  14. Members of Congress have 4 different styles of voting on legislation • Trustee - use their best judgment • Delegates - follow wishes of their constituents • Partisans - support their party's position • Politicos - balance of the 3 styles

  15. Members of Congress have special privileges • immunity from arrest while Congress is in session (most of the year) • may not be questioned for any speech made in either house (debate). Real freedom of speech!!! • Now to Ch.11 work!

  16. POWERS OF CONGRESS CH.11

  17. 3 Kinds of Powers of Congress • Expressed (spelled out in the Constitution) • Implied (not spelled out, but implied from the expressed powers) • Inherent (power all Sovereign states have)

  18. Interpreting the Powers of Congress • Strict constructionists- believe congress should only exercise its expressed powers. (spelled out in the Constitution), and its implied powers necessary to carry out its expressed powers. Elastic clause. • Liberal constructionists- favor the liberal interpretation of the constitution, broadened extent of powers.

  19. Expressed Powers of CongressArticle # 1 of the Constitution • tax, • create currency, • handle bankruptcy laws, • War powers (declare war, raise and support armies, provide navy, make rules for land and naval forces).

  20. Implied Powers of Congress Article 1 sec. 8 of the Constitution • “Necessary and proper clause”, AKA “Elastic clause” • Congress can “make all laws that are necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers”. • Example: 1790 creation of National Bank, creation of military academies (West Point) • Not directly stated in the Constitution

  21. Expressed vs. Implied examples

  22. NON LEGISLATIVE POWERS • Constitutional Amendments – Congress may propose with a 2/3 vote in both houses. • Electoral duties – The House may elect a president if no candidate wins a majority of votes. The Senate may elect a vice president if no candidate wins a majority.

  23. NON LEGISLATIVE POWERS • Impeachment– The House has the power to accuse or bring charges against someone with a 2/3 majority vote. • The Senate has the power conduct the impeachment trial. A conviction requires a 2/3 vote, which equals removal from office. • Two presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson 1868, Bill Clinton 1998. The Senate voted to acquit both men – not guilty. Clinton was given Censure or formal disapproval of Congress.

  24. ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS CH.12

  25. Congressional Officials • Speaker of the House is the leader of the house. (voted on by the majority party) • The Vice president is the leader of the Senate. (may only vote to break a tie) • The President Pro-Tempore leads the senate when the Vice President is away on executive business.(voted on by the majority party in the senate)

  26. Officials Cont. • Floor leader- legislative strategists for the their party. Guide legislation through congress. Majority and Minority parties have floor leaders. • Party whip- assistant floor leader. In charge of makes sure of partisan vote. • Committee Chair- head of a Standing Committee in each house of congress. 20/House, 16/Senate. Voted on by majority party.

  27. COMMITTEES • Organizing into committees allows congress to consider thousands of bills(proposed laws) each year. There are 4 types of Committees: • Standing - permanent committees that meet every session of congress. (20 House, 16 Senate) • Select – special committee set up for a specific purpose, for a limited time. Usually for investigation. • Joint – committee composed of both houses. • Conference – temporary joint committee created to iron out differences on a bill passed in both houses of congress.

  28. HOUSE STANDING COMMITTES SENATE STANDING COMMITTEES  Agriculture , Nutrition, and Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, and Transportation Energy , and Natural Resources Environment, and Public Works Finance Public Relations Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Homeland Security, and Governmental Affairs Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans Affairs • Agriculture • Appropriations • Armed Services • Budget • Education and the Workforce • Energy and Commerce • Ethics • Financial Services • Foreign Affairs • Homeland Security • House Administration • Judiciary • Natural Resources • Oversight and Government Reform • Rules • Science, Space, and Technology • Small Business • Transportation and Infrastructure • Veterans' Affairs • Ways and Means

  29. BILLS • Ideas for bills originate with: private citizens, members of congress, special interest groups, the President (State of the Union). • Only members can introduce bills into Congress. A bill is introduced when it is dropped into a Hopper, a box containing bills. • 2 types of bills: public and private. Publicbills apply to the nation as a whole. Private bills apply to certain people or places. • Bills start in the House, and are given a number by the clerk (H.R. 3214)

  30. Life of a Bill (summary) • House Committee – House debate / quorum (218) / 5 minutes / vote 2/3 • Introduced in Senate – Senate Committee – Senate debate / no time limit / filibuster (talk a “bill to death”, lengthy speeches) [see next slide]/ cloture (limiting debate) — conference committee – vote 2/3 • President/ sign / veto (reject) / pocket veto (if congress is not in session, president does not act in 30 days, bill dies). If in session, no action, bill is passed

  31. Longest Filibuster’s in Senate History • 1.) 24 hours, 18 minutes: Strom Thurmond, civil rights bill, 1957. • 2.) 23:30: Alfonse D'Amato, military bill, 1986. • 3.) 22:26: Wayne Morse, Tidelands oil bill, 1953. • 4.) 18:23: Robert La Follette Sr., currency bill, 1908. • 5.) 16:12: William Proxmire, debt increase, 1981. • 6.) 15:30: Huey Long, La., industrial recovery, 1935. • 7.) 15:14: D'Amato, tax bill, 1992. • 8.) 14:13: Robert Byrd, civil rights bill, 1964. • 9.) 12:52: Rand Paul, use of drones against American citizens, 2013. • 10.) 8:39: Harry Reid, protesting a Republican-led filibuster, 2003. • 11.) 21:00+ Ted Cruz, protesting Obama Care, 2013 • Cruz touched on a wide variety of subjects during his marathon, from Dr. Seuss to college kids’ inability to find White Castle burgers during the wee hours because of Obamacare. He read tweets from constituents and related stories from a “lost generation” of young people plagued by the Affordable Care Act.

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