Legislative Branch pt 1

Roadblocks while writing the constitution

• one of the problems with the articles of confederation was that each state had only one vote, and could essentially veto one another regardless of population

The Great Compromise

• settled matters of representation

• aka the “Connecticut Compromise”

• came after careful deliberation over the “Virginia Plan” and “New Jersey Plan” and serves as a combination of the two

• the great compromise maintained the creation of a bicameral legislature consisting of an upper and lower house (modern day senate and house of reps) with important differences from the virginia plan:

  • the upper house, aka the senate, would have equal representation by each state (2 members per state)

  • the lower house, the house of reps, would have proportional representation based on population

The 3/5 Compromise

• resolved the issue of representation when it came to the enslaved population of southern states and the importation of enslaved Africans

  • effectively gave southern states a third more electoral votes than if the slave population had been ignored

• this was explicitly repealed by the 14th amendment of the constitution

Two important compromises while writing the constitution

• The great compromise

• The 3/5 compromise

Constitutional Prerogatives

• authority to tax

• borrow and coin money

• operate postal service

• promote science and the arts

• declare war

• raise and support armies and a navy

• suppress insurrections

• build a capital city

Bicameralism

• the constitution specifies that congress will consist of two legislative chambers, the house of reps and the senate

  • known as bicameral legislature

• the house is intended to represent the ppl and serve 2-year terms

• the senate is intended to represent the states and serve 6-year terms

  • (initially appointed by state govts but then changed to be elected by the ppl)

Making laws

congress, by constitutional mandate, bears the ultimate responsibility for lawmaking

• both chambers of congress must approve a piece of legislation, then it’s passed onto the president, who will either sign it into law or veto it

  • congress can only override a veto with 2/3 majority vote from the members or each chamber

  • the approval of treaties also requires a 2/3 majority vote

Monetary laws/polices

• always start in the house of reps

Congressional elections

• individualism in congress

  • single-member districts

  • plurality rule

  • proportional representation

• primary elections

• drawing district boundaries

  • gerrymandering

• other electoral factors

Representation of a district or state

• trustees vs delegates

  • trustee: makes legislative decisions based on their own personal viewpoints

  • delegate: listens to constituents and tend to vote on legislative matters based on their feedback

• constituency service

  • members of congress help their constituents in their interactions with the government

• incumbency advantage

Pork-barrel bills

• government spending benefits a narrow constituency in return for electoral support or some other political support, such as campaign donations