AP Congress

A term of Congress is ____ years

Two years

A session of Congress is ____ years

One year

Currently the ___ Congress

119th Congress

20th Amendment

Moved the start time of new Congressional terms from March to January.

Why did the Founding Fathers Choose To Model Congress on a Bicameral System? (3)

1. Based on British Tradition

2. Great compromise at Constitutional Convention

3. Created a system of checks and balances within Congress

House of Representatives: Term, Minimum Age, and Residency Requirements

Term: two years
Minimum Age: 25 years old

Residency Requirements: 7 years US citizen

Senate: Term, Minimum Age, and Residency Requirements

Term: six years

Minimum Age: 30 years old

Residency Requirements: 9 years US citizen

____ Senators per state

____ Total Senators

Two senators per state
100 total senators

Originally senators were appointed by the states. This changed in 1913 with the ratification of the 17th amendment; the citizens directly elect them.

17 amendment

Made senators directly elected in.

Number of Reps from each state in the House of Representatives is determined by a state’s ______. Reps used to be elected statewide, but are now elected out of ______________. The total number of Representatives was frozen at ____ in 1929

1. Population

2. Single member districts

3. 435

How are changes made to a state’s house districts?

Reappointment

Redistricting

Gerrymandering

Reappointment

Changing the # of reps for each state based on the census (every 10 years)

Redistricting

State legislatures draw the Rep districts to reflect changes

Gerrymandering

When districts are drawn to benefit a party

Incumbent (congress)

Somebody that holds the job currently and wants to be reelected

Reelected in the House: 80%

Incumbent advantages

Name recognition:

Media Attention

Fundraising

Casework:

Members of Congress solve Constituents’ problems

Gerrymandering:

districts are drawn for advantage

Baker v. Carr (1962)

14th amendment’s EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE

Establishes the principle of “ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE”

All districts have same # of people

(761,000)

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

14th amendment’s EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE

RACE cannot be used as the sole factor in the drawing of the districts

Debate in the House of Reps

Larger size & more members = more heavily regulated (strict time limits)

Rules Committee: exists to determine the specific conditions for debate.

Rules Committee

Exists to determine the specific conditions for debate.

A CLOSED rule does not allow changes to a bill once it’s introduced to the floor

An OPEN rule allows changes to be made to a bill

Debate in the Senate

Smaller size & less members = less regulations

FILIBUSTER: just one Senator can prevent a bill from being voted on by giving a long speech (delay tactic)

Filibuster

Just one Senator can prevent a bill from being voted on by giving a long speech (delay tactic)

can only be ended by a CLOTURE vote

requires at least 60 Senators to agree to end it

Silent Filibuster

Delay a bill by simply announcing their intentions

TRUSTEE

What you personally feel is correct

DELEGATE

What your constituents want

PARTISAN

What your party leaders want

POLITICO

A master politician that alternates back and forth between the 3 other models of representation

Economic

Budget-set discretionary spending for each agency.

Pass laws that raise/lower taxes (these bills must begin in the House)

War

Declaration of War needed from a majority of both Houses

War Powers Resolution (1973)

Electoral

The House of Reps votes (majority) when no candidate gets a majority of the electoral vote. Has only happened in 1800 & 1824.

Judicial

House of Reps: Impeachment (majority). Johnson (1864) & Clinton (1998), Trump (2019 & 2021))

Senate: Trial. 2/3 vote needed for conviction

Confirmation

The Senate must approve (majority) Presidential appointments like judges, cabinet members and ambassadors.

Foreign Affairs

The Senate is required to approve all formal treaties (2/3 vote).

Investigation & Oversight

Congress is responsible for overseeing the bureaucratic agencies. Congress possesses subpoena power & individuals must take oath before testifying

Committee System

How does it allow Congress to become more efficient

By specializing in an area

How is the composition of each committe determined?

The majority party outnumbers the minority party on every committee and chooses the Chairperson

How Can Committees Benefit Individual Members?

A high profile committee assignment gets your more media attention and make you more attractive to donors

Committee assignment may allow you to add PORK to a bill

Something that may only benefit your constituents

Pork to a bill

Something that may only benefit your constituents

Why is the Ways and Means Committee in the House significant?

The Ways and Means Committee is significant because it is the primary tax-writing body in Congress, holding exclusive constitutional authority to originate all revenue-raising legislation, including taxes, tariffs, Social Security, and Medicare.

Why is the Rules Committee in the House significant?

The Rules Committee is significant because it acts as the "traffic cop" of the House, determining which bills reach the floor for debate and setting the specific parameters—such as time limits and allowable amendments—under which those bills will be considered.

President of Congress

Constitutional Duty of VP

President Pro Tempore

Ceremonial position given to the longest serving member of the majority part. 3rd in line of Presidential succession.

Speaker of Congress

Elected from the Majority party. 2nd in line of Presidential succession. Public spokesperson; assigns majority party members to committees.

Majority Leader

Takes a back seat to the Speaker in the House; in the Senate the Majority leader is a public spokesperson and assigns members of the majority party to committee assignments.

Minority Leader

Public spokesperson; assigns committee assignments to members of the minority party

Majority Whip

Keep regular members in touch with leadership

Pigeonholed

Bill is killed

How a bill becomes a law