Congress Unit III, Section 1 - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Congress

Unit III, Section 1Slide2

The National LegislatureSlide3

Concepts

What type of democracy does America have?

Indirect Democracy

Representative Democracy

General public not directly involved

Congress fulfills duties of the day-to-day government

Translates public will into public policy

Creates laws

“First Branch”- Madison

Outlined in Article I of the ConstitutionSlide4

A Bicameral Congress

Two Houses

Precedence

Historical

British Parliament has two houses

1787-All but two states had bicameral houses

Nebraska remaining unicameral stateSlide5

…Continued

Practical

Compromise between Virginia & New Jersey Plans

Federalist idea

Equality in the Senate

Popular separation in the House

Theoretical

Two houses “Check” each otherPrevents Congress from becoming too powerfulSlide6

Terms of Congress

Each term lasts 2 years

Consecutively numbered

20

th

Amendment

Changed term start date

Formerly in MarchNow 3rd

day in January at noon

Currently, 114

th

Congress

January 3, 2015-January 3, 2017Slide7

Sessions

Session-Yearly time when Congress meets and conducts business

Two sessions per term

Congress typically works most of a year

Several short breaks

Holiday/Seasonal Breaks

Allowances to work in States

Adjourns-Suspension until next session

Both houses must agree on an adjournment

President may prorogue (end) a session

Never been usedSlide8

Special Sessions

Meeting to deal with an emergency issue

Can only be called by the President

26 Special Sessions have been called

Most recent 1948, President Truman

Senate called 46 times

Consider treaties or presidential appointments

Not since 1933

House never called alone

Year round meetings limit special sessions

Limits presidential power

Threats used now more than the actionSlide9

The House of Representatives Slide10

Size & Terms

435 Current Membership

Set by Congress and NOT by the Constitution

Seats should be apportioned among States

Population based

Each state guaranteed one

AK, DE, MT, ND, SD, VT, & WY

Other appointments

Elected representative- DC, Guam, Virgin Islands, & American Samoa

Resident Commissioner- Puerto Rico

Not full membersSlide11

…Continued

Article I, Sec. II, Clause I

Elections held every two years

Elections always looming

The purpose

Keep better ear to electorate issues

No limit on number of terms

Past pushes to place term limits3 to 4 terms

6 to 8 yearsSlide12

Reapportionment

Redistribution of the House occurs after every ten year census

First Two Congresses (1789-1793)

65 Seats

1790 census

3.9 Million Americans

41 Seats added

Total of 106Slide13

A Growing Nation

As more states were added so too did the number of seats grow

435 seats achieved in 1912

1910 census

Admission of Arizona & New Mexico

Size of the House was proving difficult to manage

Congress chose to do nothing

No reapportionment after the 1920 censusSlide14

The Reapportionment Act of 1929

Establishes

“Permanent” House size at 435 members

Congress may enlarge the House

Census Bureau will determine number of seats per state

Bureau’s plan must be sent to Congress

After 60 days with no rejection the plan becomes effective

Congress stays Constitutionally correct

Pressure placed on Census BureauSlide15

Congressional Election Dates

Held the same day across the Country

First Tuesday after the first Monday of Nov.

Even numbered years

Alaska once voted in Oct.

Ballots must be either written or printed

Voting machines approved in 1899

Most modern elections use electronic voting machinesSlide16

Off-Year Elections

Occur in nonpresidential election years

2010 & 2014 the most recent

Party in power usually loses seats

Example

1974 Nixon’s party did poorly after Watergate

1994 during Clinton’s first term

Exception

1998 Republicans lost seats during Clinton impeachment

Limited public supportSlide17

Districts

435 national districts

Seven states have 1

43 states hold the remaining 428

Single-Member District

Voters chose from a list of State candidates

General Ticket System

Voters could vote for candidates from each district

Seen as unfair

Ended in 1842 Slide18

…Continued

Rules on the Districts

1842 Law: District must be of contiguous territory

State legislatures responsible for district drawing

1872: Districts should have as equal as possible populations

1901: Districts small in area

State legislatures did not follow Laws

Not expressed in Reapportionment Act of 1929

1932 Supreme Court repealed lawsSlide19

Gerrymandering

Districts drawn to advantage of political party in power

Found across U.S. and in varying levels of government

Two forms

Concentrate the opposition’s voter into one district

Spread opposition thinlySlide20
Slide21

IL

4

th

Con.

DistrictSlide22

…Continued

Purpose is to create “safe” districts

Has made most Congressional seats safe

40 Congressional districts deemed “unsafe”

Push in power between

the Rep. and Dem.

the Urban and Rural

Can become race basedSlide23

Qualification For House Membership

Formal

25 years of age

U.S. citizen for at least 7 years

Inhabit the State from which they are elected

Customs

Live in the district of representationSlide24

…Continued

House has final say on Representative election issues

Refused Brigham Roberts (1900) from Utah due to his religious practices

Congress can not, now, prevent someone from taking office

House can punish or expel members

With majority or 2/3 vote respectively

Reasons for past expulsions

“Support of rebellion”, corruption, bribery, fraud, and tax evasionSlide25

Informal Qualifications

“Vote-getting abilities”

Party identification

Name familiarity

Gender

Ethnic characteristics

Political experience

Game of getting the right combination

Mike

Bost

12

th

Congressional District of IllinoisSlide26

The SenateSlide27

Size

100 Member Senate

Equal representation for all states

Larger and more broad electorate

Has grown as the country has grown

Goal

Senate would be the more level headed chamber

Longer termsMembership qualifications higherSlide28

Elections

Senators originally picked by State legislatures

Twice Senate voted down House-passed amendment

1912-Senate finally relented

17

th

Amendment (1913) allowed for voter choice

1 Senator up for election at a timePre-17

th

Amendment

Senators picked who were popular or most qualified

Often product of political/financial gains

Senate once known as the “Millionaire’s Club”Slide29

Terms

Six year terms

No term limit

Robert Byrd (D-WV) longest serving Senator

1959-2010

Over 51 years of service

Staggered Terms

1/3 of Senators up for election at a time

Makes the Senate a Continuous House

Job Security

Less susceptible to public pressureSlide30

…Continued

Longer terms means better focus on “Big Picture” ideas

Appeal to a larger Constituency

Champion of public policy issues

Better access to public media

Training ground for presidential candidatesSlide31

Qualifications

30 years of age

U.S. citizen for at least 9 years

Live in the State from which elected

Senator Dick Durbin

Senator Mark KirkSlide32

…Continued

Senate judges qualifications of election victors

Senate may punish (majority vote) or expel (2/3 vote) members

1797

William Blount expelled

Conspiring to invade Florida with British and Native American assistance

1861-1862

14 Senators expelled in the early years of the Civil War

“Support of rebellion”

Slide33

Members of CongressSlide34

The Job

Congressmen and women hold several positions

Legislator/Legislative Delegate

Representative of Constituents

Committee Member

Constituent Servant

PoliticianSlide35

“To Represent”

Trustees

Each question set before members must be looked carefully

Judge for constituencies

Agents of the people

Think of the “Folks back home”

MUST suppress own viewsSlide36

…Continued

Partisan

First allegiance to political party

Duty bound to vote on party lines

Leading voting factor

Politicos

Balance between being a

Legislative Delegate

Trustee

PartisanSlide37

…Continued

Committee Member

Bill process begins in committee

Congressional members hear, amendment, kill proposals

Perform an oversight function

Leg. check on executive branch agencies

Makes sure Congressional policies and laws are being followedSlide38

Servants

Assist constituents through federal bureaucracy

Social Security

Passport trouble

Small business loans

Continually swamped with requests

Securing government contracts

Admittance into a military academyPotential votes are on the lineSlide39

Compensation

Salary

Annual Congressional members salary

$174,000

Between 1789-1815 ($6 a day)

Speaker of the House

$

223,500Leadership (Majority Leader, Whips, etc.)

$193,400Slide40

…Continued

Non-salary Compensation

Fringe Benefits

Special Tax Deductions

Travel Allowances

Smaller Insurance Payments

Low Medical Cost

Access to Military HospitalsRetirement Plan

Based on years of serviceSlide41

…Continued

Offices in Washington & Home State

Operating costs

Hiring staff

Franking Privilege

Postage-free mailing/ “signature stamp”

Free printing/low cost production

Restaurants, gyms, pools, etc. access in D.C.

Access to Library of Congress

Free Parking

Capital

Washington airportsSlide42

Politics of Pay

Only two limits on Congressional pay level

Presidential veto

Voter backlash

Congress skirts compensation issue for voters

Hope

Pay and benefits may attract the most qualified individuals to public office