Legislative Branch

What does the Legislative Branch do?

Create Laws & Amendments through debate, compromise & votes.

Examples: Laws to fight terrorism, like the Patriot Act Laws to “improve” education, like No Child Left Behind” Laws to raise or lower certain Federal Taxes, like the income tax.

What else? Checking the powers of the other

branches For Example: overriding

presidential vetoes, approving Supreme Court

Nominees, & Impeachment.

And….. Elective duties- tie in the

electoral college Investigations – Congress can

monitor executive branch actions.

Ex: Congressional Hearings on Steroid use in MLB, Investigations on the Federal response to Katrina, intelligence failures prior to 9/11, Watergate, Bill & Monica, etc.

Where are the powers written?

Outlined in Article I of the Constitution.

Includes: length of terms, leadership, qualifications, &

Congressional powers.

Article I specifies that the congress shall be a

bicameral legislature. Comprised of two houses

1. The House of Representatives2. The Senate

Why a bicameral Legislature?

Historical - idea borrowed from the English Parliament.

Most states had a bicameral legislature.

The Great Compromise - during the drafting of the Constitution. (Small Population States got equal representation in the Senate: 2 per state / Large States got representation based on population.)

How do the two houses compare?

Senate 100 Senators (Equal)

6 years

30

9 years

House of Representatives 435

Representatives (Population)

2 years

25

7 years

Term Length

Size

Age Requirement

Residency Requirement

Congress is in session

Begins January 3rd

Odd numbered year -every 2 years

Example 111th Congress Began January 3, 2009 Ends January 3, 2011

2 per term 1 year each – includes

breaks for holidays & vacations

Ends when members vote to adjourn

“Special” sessions as needed

Terms Session

How do they determine how many Reps a state

gets?

Gerrymandering Party in power draws

boundaries to benefit them

Often odd lookingPacking Draw lines to include

as many of the opposing party’s voters, leaving the other districts for their own party

Use the census to determine if reapportionment is needed – leads to redistricting

Cracking Draw lines that divide

opponent’s voters into many separate districts to weaken voter base

What does gerrymandering

look like?

http://www.redistrictinggame.org/launchgame.php?level=basic&mission=1

Who represents you? Senate Saxby Chambliss

& Johnny Isakson

House Tom Price