Download Legislative Branch - McEachern High School

Government Institutions:
Legislative Branch
Congressional Structure
Congress
House
Senate
• 435 members
• Representatives based
on population
• 2 year term
• Serve the constituents
of their DISTRICTS
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100 members
2 per state
6 year term
Serve the constituents
of their STATES
House of
Representatives
• Must be 25 years of age (when seated, not when elected).
• Must have been a citizen of the United States for 7 years.
• Must be an inhabitant of the state from which elected. (NOTE:
custom, but not the Constitution, requires that a representative
live in the district that he or she represents.)
• Serve a two year term.
Senate
• Must be 30 years of age (when seated, not when
elected).
• Must have been a citizen of the United States for 9
years.
• Must be an inhabitant of the state from which elected.
• Serve a six year term; 1/3 up for re-election at a time
Determining Representatives
in the House
• Census Every 10 years to determine population
• Reapportionment – Congress divides the 435
House seats between states based on population
• Redistricting - state legislature draws the new
district lines
• Gerrymandering - drawing district lines based
on some characteristic other than just population
Original Gerrymander
Non-gerrymandered
district
Gerrymandered district
Terms and Sessions
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Congressional Term for 2 yrs
Session- 2 sessions Jan 3rd – Dec., Jan - July 31st
Work day: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Working time: Noon to 5 – 6 o’clock.
Recess = temporary break
Special Session= Outside of regular hours
Joint Session= Both House and Senate
“State of the Union” Called by president
Congressional
Leadership
Leadership in the
House of Representatives
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Selected by the majority party
Job:
Presiding Officer of
the House
Power:
Decides which
committee a bill
goes to.
Paul Ryan
R – Wisconsin
Leadership in the
House of Representatives
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Selected by the majority party
Majority Leader
Leads the Republican party
Job: Support legislation for
party and get it passed
Minority Leader
Leads the Democratic party
Job: Leads Opposition to
control the majority party
Kevin McCarthy
R – California
Nancy Pelosi
D – California
Leadership in the
House of Representatives
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Selected by the majority party
Majority Leader
Majority Whip
Job:Assists the
leader, rounds up
votes, heads large
group of deputy
and assistant
whips.
Steve Scalise
R – Louisiana
Minority Leader
Minority
Whip
Job: Assists the
leader, rounds
up votes, heads
large group of
deputy and
Steny Hoyer
D - Maryland
assistant whips.
Georgia’s Representation
• Georgia currently has
14 congressional
districts.
• McEachern’s current
congressional district
is the 13th represented
by:
Congressman
David Scott
Georgia Delegation 114th
Buddy Carter, Sanford Bishop, Lynn Westmoreland, Hank
Johnson, John Lewis, Tom Price
Rob Woodall, Austin Scott, Doug Collins, Jody Hice, Barry
Loudermilk, Rick Allen, David Scott, Tom Graves
Leadership in the
United States Senate
Leadership in the
United States Senate
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
The Vice President of the United States
Vice President
Joseph Biden
Job:
President of the Senate
Power:
Breaks tie in legislation.
Otherwise does not
vote.
Leadership in the
United States Senate
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
The Vice President of the United States
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE
Selected by majority party. Usually
most senior member of the Senate
majority party
Job:
Presides over the
Senate when the
Vice President is
absent.
Senator Orrin Hatch
R – Utah
Leadership in the
United States Senate
Majority Leader
Minority Leader
Leads the Democratic party
Job: Guides legislation
Leads the Republican party
Job: Leads Opposition
Mitch McConnell
Harry Reid
R - Kentucky
D - Nevada
Congress
Senate
Upper House
House of Representatives
Lower House
President of Senate
VP of USA
Speaker of House
President Pro Tempore
Majority Leader
Senior Ranking Member Of the Majority Party
Senate Majority
Leader
Senate Minority
Leader
House Majority
Floor Leader
House Minority
Leader
Senate Majority
Whip
Senate Minority
Whip
House Majority
Whip
House Minority
Whip
100 Senators
2 from each State
435 Representatives
Elected by Population
Other House & Senate Positions
• Clerk of House does administrative duties.
• Parliamentarian keeps rule on debate.
• Chaplain prays before debate.
• Sergeant at Arms keep order.
• Official Reporters writes every single word in meeting.
• Post Master sees that everything is distributed.
Georgia’s Representation
Senator
Senator
Johnny Isakson
David Perdue
AND
Congressional Rules and
Benefits
Congressional Expectations
• Loyalty to chamber – don’t talk about them
• Civility to each other – Polite, courteous
• Seniority – the most senior members get
more choice of assignments
• Specialization - become an expert in an area
• Reciprocity (aka logrolling)-support for
each others bill. “I’ll help pass your
transportation bill now if you help pass my
health care bill when it comes to the floor.”
Congressional Representation
• Delegate – follows the advice and instruction of
constituents
• Trustee - assume the people put you in, so now
you vote your conscience
• Politico - uses whichever will help politically;
become a delegate on pork barrel issues and a
trustee on all others
Compensation and Benefits
Salaries - $174,000 per year
Senate Leadership
Majority Party Leader - $193,400
Minority Party Leader - $193,400
House Leadership
Speaker of the House - $223,500
Majority Leader - $193,400
Minority Leader - $193,400
Compensation and Benefits
• Offices – home state & DC
• Expense Accounts
• Stationary and Postage (Franking privilege)
• Pension Plan and Retirement Income
• Incumbency – advantage of already
holding office – helps in re-election
Congressional Powers
Congressional Powers
Enumerated
listed in Article I Section 8; most important
Implied
necessary and proper/elastic clause
do what necessary to carry out enumerated
allows for today's laws
Denied
ex post facto
bill of attainder
suspend writ of habeas corpus
grant titles of nobility
Delegated/Enumerated/Expressed Powers are:
Specifically Granted in Constitution
Legislative Powers
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Provide common defense
Make citizenship rules
Run military (armed services)
Declare War
Supervise Washington DC
Raise Money (taxes)
Regulate Trade
Spend Money (pay bills, fund programs)
Coin money (and set value)
Run Post Office & Roads
Issue Copyrights & Patents
Establish Federal Courts
Set number of justices on Supreme Court
Non-legislative Powers
1.
Advice and Consent
(Senate approve treaties & appointments)
2.
Impeachment Charges (House)
3.
Convict & Remove Impeached Officials (Senate)
4.
Admit new states
5.
Amend the Constitution
6.
Count Electoral Votes
(Senate Counts; House votes if not 270 vote)
7.
Serve as “watchdog” over government
Prohibited Powers - Limits on Congress
writ of habeas corpus
Can’t put you in jail without telling you charges
bills of attainder
Can’t pass law that punishes group without trial
ex post facto laws
Can’t pass a retroactive law charging you for something that was legal when you
did it
Implied Powers are:
Laws needed to help carry out the enumerated powers (Necessary
& Proper/Elastic Clause)
Capitol
Tidbits
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Site chosen in 1791; British burned in 1814
300 feet to top of statue
Freedom Statue is 19’ 6”
Capitol sits on 3.5 acres; 168 acres around it are designated to the
capitol
• Diameter of Rotunda is 95’ (whisper heard across the room)
• Original rule was that nothing could be higher than Freedom
Statue; exception made for Washington monument
Capitol Building Architecture
360 Tour of Capitol
Capitol Grounds
Learning Modules