Congress

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Congress

★Senate ★House of Representatives

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House of Representatives

★Representation in the House is based on population - average size of a congressional district is 647,000 people.

★Congressional Reapportionment Act of 1929 fixed membership at 435.

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House of Representatives

★ Originates bills for raising revenues.

★ Brings impeachment charges.★ Chooses a President if no

candidate emerges with a majority vote in the Electoral College.

★ House Rules Committee determines when a bill will come up for debate...the time allotted for discussion...and kinds of amendments that can be offered.

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House of Representatives

Organization★ Presiding officer is the Speaker of

the House.•Refers bills to committees.•Recognizes members to speak.•Appoints Chair of the Rules Committee.

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Organization

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Committees

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House of Representatives

Organization★Apportionment - every 10 years

Congress reallocates the 435 congressional districts among the states based on gains or losses in population.

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House of Representatives

Organization★Redistricting - following

reapportionment, state legislatures draw the boundary lines for each congressional district so congressional districts are approximately equal in population.

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House of Representatives

Organization★Gerrymandering - a process of

drawing boundary lines to help increase the chance that a candidate from a particular political party will be elected.

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What is gerrymandering?

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House of RepresentativesGerrymandering

• http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/287329-5

• http://video.pbs.org/video/1628643360/

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Senate

★The two senators from each state were originally chosen by their state legislatures.

★17th Amendment changed the process so they are now chosen at-large by voters in the states.

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★ Approves presidential appointments.★ Ratifies treaties.★ Holds a trial of an impeached official.★ Rules allow filibusters - the Senate’s

use of unlimited debate as a blocking tactic.

Senate

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★Presiding officer is the Vice-President of the U.S.; this is a ceremonial role only with the V.P. voting only in case of a tie.

★President pro tempore - usually the most senior senator of the majority party.

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Senate Organization

Organization

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★Filibusters in the Senate can be stopped when 60 members vote for a cloture motion. Cloture allows Senators to debate with no one speaking for more than one hour.

★http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6297689n

Senate Filibuster

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Congress - Elections and Terms

★Elections•Held in November of even-numbered years.

★Senators•Serve 6 year terms.•1/3 elected every 2 years.

★Representatives•Serve 2 year terms.

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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

How does a bill become a law?

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How a Bill Becomes Law

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★http://www.centeroncongress.org/interactive-learning-modules

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How a Bill Really Becomes Law

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★Trustees hear constituents and then make their own judgments as to the broad interests of the entire nation.

★Delegates vote as their constituents want.

★Most members act as politicos - as a trustee or delegate depending on the issue.

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Theories of Representation