Bellwork: Day 3

Watch the following video and tell me in five steps how a bill becomes a law.

1. 2.34.5.

(Recommendation: write small for there be many words a comin’)

Bellwork: Day 2

Watch the following video and tell me in five steps how a bill becomes a law.

1. Bill is introduced in either the House of Reps or Senate.

2. 34.5.

Bellwork: Day 2

Watch the following video and tell me in five steps how a bill becomes a law.

1. Bill is introduced in either the House of Reps or Senate.

2. Bill is sent to committee, where it is checked and sent to Congress.

3.4.5.

Bellwork: Day 2

Watch the following video and tell me in five steps how a bill becomes a law.

1. Bill is introduced in either the House of Reps or Senate.

2. Bill is sent to committee, where it is checked and sent to Congress.

3. House (or Senate) votes; 51% must vote yes.

4. 5.

Bellwork: Day 2

Watch the following video and tell me in five steps how a bill becomes a law.

1. Bill is introduced in either the House of Reps or Senate.

2. Bill is sent to committee, where it is checked and sent to Congress.

3. House (or Senate) votes; 51% must vote yes.

4. Bill is sent to the other house of Congress.

5.

Bellwork: Day 2

Watch the following video and tell me in five steps how a bill becomes a law.

1. Bill is introduced in either the House of Reps or Senate.

2. Bill is sent to committee, where it is checked and sent to Congress.

3. House (or Senate) votes; 51% must vote yes.

4. Bill is sent to the other house of Congress.

5. President vetos or approves law. Bill becomes law.

- (If vetoed, it must be approved in Congress with 66% of the vote.)

Take out Assignment 2

Let’s review

Assignment 5: The Legislative Branch Worksheet

Finish

Review

Make a Bill

Abortion Budget & Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy & Oil Environment Families & Children

Foreign Policy Free Trade Government Reform

Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure & Technology Jobs Principles & Values Social Security Tax Reform War & Peace Welfare & Poverty

Here are some topics to help you get started. You may not have the same bill as someone else.

Make a Bill

Here are some topics to help you get started. You may not have the same bill as someone else.

Assignment 6: Congress Notes

The Evolution of CongressThe intent of the Framers:

To oppose the concentration of power in a single institution

To balance large and small states Bicameralism

They expected Congress to be the dominant institution

What does this graph tell us?What does this graph tell us?

The Constitution and the Legislative Branch

Article I creates a bicameral legislative branch of government.

The upper house is called the Senate in which each state receives two representatives.

The lower house is called the House of Representatives which is apportioned by population.

The Senate has a 6 year term with 1/3 of the seats up for reelection every two years.

House members serve 2 year terms.

Apportionment and RedistrictingThe Constitution requires that all Americans

be counted every 10 years by a census. The census determines the representation in

the House of Representatives.Redistricting (the redrawing of congressional

districts to reflect changes in seats allocated to the states from population shifts) is done by state legislatures and, of course, always has political overtones. Called gerrymandering when too extreme.

Powers ofCongress

Taxation

Lawmaking DeclareWar

Regulate Commerce

SpendMoney

CreateCourts

Make all laws "necessary and proper" to carrying outthe enumerated powers

Powers of CongressThe most important constitutional power of Congress is the power to make laws.

This power is shared by the House and the Senate.

In order to become a law, a bill must be passed by both the House and the Senate.

Key DifferencesHouse Senate• Initiate revenue bills

•2-year term•435•Formal•Tax policy

• advise and consent

• 6-year term• 100• Relaxed• Foreign policy

Members of CongressCongress is older, better educated, whiter, and richer than most of us.

However, great strides have been made. Currently, both California senators are women.

WOMEN MEMBERS OF THE 106TH CONGRESS

HOUSE WOMEN REPRESENTATIVES: 56 Total Democratic Congresswomen: 41Total Republican Congresswomen: 17

SENATEWOMEN SENATORS: 9 Barbara Boxer (D-CA) Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Susan Collins (R-ME) Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Patty Murray (D-WA) Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) Blanche Lambert Lincoln (D-AK)

Total Democratic Senators: 6 Total Republican Senators: 3

ARE WOMEN DIFFERENT?

The Representational Role of Members of CongressHow should an elected official represent

his/her constituents?Trustee--representatives use their own best

judgmentDelegate--representatives vote the way their

constituents want them toPolitico--representatives act as trustee or

delegate depending on the issue

Organization of CongressEvery two years, a new Congress is seated.

The first order of business is the election of leaders and adoption of new rules.

Both houses of Congress are organized on the basis of party for both leadership and committee purposes.

LawmakingOnly a member of the House or Senate may introduce a bill but anyone can write a bill.

Over 9,000 bills are proposed and fewer than 5 to 10% are enacted.

Most bills originate in the executive branch.

A bill must survive three stages to become a law: committees, the floor, and the conference committee. A bill can die at any stage.

CommitteesCommittees were designed to allow Congress

to specialize in key areasWhichever party is in the majority controls all

of the committees and has a majority on each committee

House of Rep: The Rules Committee is the most powerful. They determine rules for how a law is introduced ...

Rules Committee determines whether amendments to a bill can be added, or whether there will be any debate on it at all!

Senate is more informal. No rules committee. Instead, they can filibuster and stop the Senate from functioning

How Members Make Decisions

It is rare for a legislator to disregard strong wishes of constituents, particularly on hot button issues or those contentious issues that get a lot of media attention.

The perceptions of the representative are important since he/she cannot really know how all the constituents feel about an issue... right?

Members often introduce legislation that will benefit their district or state above that of the country. This is why more than 90% of Reps are reelected.

Representative

Colleagues

Constituents Staff

CaucusesParty

Interest Groups

Political Action Committees

How Members Make Decisions

Congress and the PresidentHowever, Congress

retains several key powers vis-a-vis the president:funding powers oversightimpeachment/

removal.

Congressional Oversight of the Executive Branch

• Congress has the power to review the actions of the executive branch

Continuity and ChangeThe framers of the U.S Constitution placed

Congress at the center of the government.In the early years of the republic, Congress

held the bulk of power.The face of Congress is changing as women

and minorities have achieved seats.Today, the presidency has become quite

powerful, particularly since FDR. Congress now generally responds to

executive branch legislative proposals.

Figure 13.2: Percentage of Incumbents Reelected to Congress

Harold W. Stanley and Richard G. Niemi, Vital Statistics on American Politics, 1999-2000 (Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2000), table 1-18; 2004 updated by Marc Siegal.

Create Your Own BillRequirements:20 Points- Blank Bill Worksheet: Correctly fill out and use

appropriate bill-language. This means do not use words like you, I, basically, kinda, sorta, sometimes, etc. Make sure you fill out everything in the right place. Carefully read where everything should go.

10 Points - Visual: Create a visual (poster, commercial, etc.) for your Bill. Visual should look nice, describe in a few words what your Bill aims to do, and be complete by Bill Presentation Day.

20 Points - Bill Presentation: Present your Bill to the class. Be able to accurately describe what your Bill aims to do and persuade the Senate (class) to pass it. Be prepared to answer questions or take challenges from your colleagues.