The legislative branch

1. The legislative branch

2. What is Congress? • Congress makes up the Legislative Branch of the U.S. government. • The powers of Congress are located in Article I of the Constitution. • Congress “makes laws” • Congress has a BICAMERAL legislature • 2 houses • The Senate (Upper House) • The House of Representatives (Lower House)

3. The Senate • Called the “Upper” house • 100 members – equal representation from each state – 2 members per state. • Term of Office • One term for a Senator is 6 years • Elected in rotating shifts every 2 years – meaning 1/3 of the 100 is up for election every two years. • If Mike is elected in 2002 he will run again in 2008, but Anna wasn’t elected until 2004 so she will run again in 2010.

4. Qualifications for Senate • Must be at least 30 years old • Must be a resident of the state you want to represent • Must be a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years • Each state holds popular elections for Senate – usually both Senate seats for the state are not up for election at the same time.

5. The House of Representatives • Called the “Lower” house • 435 – representation based on population of the state. The higher the population the more members the state has in Congress. • Term of Offices • One term in the H.O.R. is 2 years **much shorter than the Senate**

6. The House of Representatives • Since membership is based on population, how do we determine this? • Apportionment – dividing the seats in the H.O.R. among the 50 states. Each state gets “a portion” of the 435 members. • To determine population we conduct a “Census” every 10 years – we just had one in 2010. • If the population changes we must “reapportion” the 435 seats. • The Constitution says that each state must have at least 1 seat in the H.O.R.

7. Qualifications for the H.O.R. • Must be at least 25 years old • Must be a citizen of the state you want to represent • Must be a U.S. citizen for at least 7 years

8. CONGRESS • What is the total number of members in Congress? • 535 • Each member in Congress receives one vote. • Meet at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. • Each new session begins on January 3rd

9. Perks of being a Congress Member • $151,000 yearly salary • Vote on their own salary – but what does the Constitution say about this??? • Free from arrest (for misdemeanors) during sessions of Congress • Retirement benefits • Free healthcare, gym membership, cell phone, computers, transportation, etc.

10. The Typical Congress Member is… • Male • Over the age of 50 • White • Has a law degree

11. Powers of Congress • Found in Article I Section 8 • Expressed Powers – directly stated in the Constitution • Usually called “enumerated” powers • Levy and collect taxes • Coin money • Raise a military

12. Powers of Congress • Implied Powers – powers not directly stated in the Constitution. • Necessary & Proper Clause – The power to make all laws “necessary & proper” for carrying out the Constitution. • Sometimes called the “Elastic Clause” because it allows Congress to STRETCH their power. • Examples – Creating highways; building dams; passing laws that prohibit discrimination; etc. etc. etc.

13. Powers of Congress • Inherent Powers: Powers the govt has possessed throughout history. • The government has these powers just because they are the government. • Very few inherent powers, but some examples are: • Regulating immigration • Deporting illegal immigrants • Acquiring more territory • Protecting against rebellion in the country

14. Performance Task • Create an illustration from the notes on Congress. • Your illustration should be in the form of some type of house. • Spongebob’s pineapple. • A tree house • A double wide • ANY type of house • It must be in color and fill the whole page (see my example).