AP Gov Congress

Congress

A coming together

Why did the framers create a bicameral congress?

To compensate for differences in state sizes and population and because drew inspiration from British Parliament's House of Lords and House of Commons.

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

Virginia Plan: large states wanted a bicameral legislature based on population

New Jersey Plan: the small states wanted a unicameral congress with equal representation for each state

Framers resolved dispute by agreeing to compromise calling for a bicameral congress with representation in a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate in which states would have equal representation.

Which two types of representation are provided for in the bicameral system?

Interest of the people (house) and interests of the state (senate)

Fragmented power

Checking majority interests while protecting minority interests

Why did the framers intend for the legislative process to be slow?

Wanted to encourage careful deliberation and compromise

House of Representatives

- People's house
- 435 members, 435 districts
- two year terms
- 0 term limits
- must be at least 25 years old
- Must be an American citizen for at least 7 years
- Must be a resident of the state from which he or she is elected
- stricter rules and restricted debate

Senate

- 100 members (2 from each state)
- 6 year terms, 0 term limits
- staggered elections for continuous body
- must be at least 30 years old
- must be an American citizen for at least 9 years
- must be a resident of the state from which he or she is elected

When does a new congress begin?

Noon January 3 of each odd-numbered year following a general election, unless it designates a different day by law.

Lame Duck Amendment (20th)

1932; It eliminated the four-month period between election and inauguration of a new president; moves inaugural date to Jan. 20th

Senators were originally chosen by\____________

State legislators

The 17th amendment (1913)

Mandated the direct popular election of senators

T or F: HoR was always elected by eligible voters, even at the time of constitution ratification

True

Special powers of HoR

- initiates revenue bills (power of the purse)
- brings charges of impeachment against president, Vice President, and all civil officers of US (indictment)
- chooses the president when the electoral college is deadlocked
- domestic policy
- less prestigious

Special powers of Senate

- ratifies treaties negotiated by the president (foreign policy)
- possesses sole power to try or judge impeachment cases
- confirms judiciary appointments, including US attorneys, federal judges, and US Supreme Court Justices
- confirms executive appointments, including cabinet heads, director of the FBI, and US attorney general.
- more prestigious
- power to advise and consent

The 118th congress is the \____________ oldest congress since 1789

Third (senate average: 64, house: 58)

Size and apportionment

Constitution does not set the exact size of the house. It says that size shall be apportioned or distributed among the states based on their respective populations.

What does the constitution guarantee in regards to representatives and how many each state gets?

Each state will have at least one representative regardless of population.

How many states currently have one seat in the HOR

7

Each legislative district represents approximately \__________ people

700,000

Reapportionment

the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census (every 10 years). Directed in constitution.

Reapportionment Act of 1929

Set the House of Reps. at 435 members. Because of it some states gain seats and some lose.

How does influence as population increase?

Influence is added in the house and the electoral college

Electoral College

House reps + 2 senate seats

T or F: the constitution defines or discusses congressional districts

False

1842, congress stipulated that all seats in HOR would be filled from \_________________ districts

Single member

Who is assigned the responsibility of drawing the boundary lines of the congressional districts?

State legislator

Redistricting

The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Consequences of gerrymandering

- protects incumbents and discourages challengers
- strengthens majority party while weakening the opposition party
- increases or decreases minority representation

Baker v. Carr

case that est. one man one vote. this decision created guidelines for drawing up congresional districts and guaranteed a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state (led to congressional districts often favoring less-populous rural areas of a state)

Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)

Reaffirmed the "one person, one vote" decision of the 1962 case of Baker v. Carr when redistricting for federal elections. Each congressional district must be approximately the same in constituent size. Gave cities and suburbs greater representation in Congress.
- districts must be equally populated
- districts must be compact; lines must be contiguous or connected
- redistricting cannot dilute minority voting strength
- district lines cannot be drawn based solely on race, but race cam be one of a variety of factors that are considered.

T or F: Supreme Court decisions have not eliminated gerrymandering for partisan political purposes

True

Advantages of being Majority Party:

- holds committee chairs
- chooses speaker of the house
- assigns bills to committees
- holds majority on each committee
- controls House Rules Committee
- sets legislative agenda

Speaker of the House

- presides over HOR
- overseas house business
- stands second in line for presidential succession (Pres, VP, SOH)

Majority leader

Elected leader of the party that controls HOR

Minority leader

Elected leader of party with 2nd highest number of elected representatives in HOR

Majority whip/minority whip

Maintains close contact with members to ensure party unity on important votes

Vice President

- constitution makes VP the president of the senate
- BUT, he/she may only vote to break tie

President Pro Tempore

Presides over senate in absence of VP; held by member of majority party with longest service in senate

Majority leader

Elected leader of party that controls senate. This person is the true leader of the senate

Minority leader

Elected leader of minority party of senate

Current VP/ president of the senate

Kamala Harris (D)

Current President Pro Tempore of the Senate

Patty Murray (D)

Current senate majority floor leader

Chuck Schumer (D)

Current senate minority floor leader

Mitch McConnell (R)

Current senate majority whip

Dick Durbin

Current senate minority whip

John Thune

Current speaker of the house

Kevin McCarthy (R)

Current house majority floor leader

Steve Scalise (R)

Current house minority floor leader

Hakeem Jeffries D)

Current House Majority Whip

Tom Emmer(R)

Current house minority whip

Kathy Clark (D)

Both house and senate are divided into \____________ to divide the work load

Committees

Standing committees

- Permanent bodies that continue from one congress to the next
- focus on legislation in a particular area, such as foreign relations or agriculture
- all bills are referred to standing committees, where they can be amended, passed or killed.
- foster development of expertise by their members
- divided into subcommittees where the details of legislation are worked out.

Select committees

Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose. Usually formed to conduct an investigation tino a current matter of great public concern (watergate for example)

Joint committees

committees on which both senators and representatives serve; similar to select committees and often focus public attention on a major issue

Conference committees

Temporary bodies that are formed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill. Members are appointed by the party leadership and are drawn from House and Senate committees that originally considered the bill.

House Rules Committee

- controlled by speaker
- "traffic cop" or speaker's "right arm"
- set guidelines for floor debate; gives each bill a rule that places bill on legislative calendar, limits time for debate and determines type of amendments that will be allowed

Closed rule

Sets strict time limits on debates and forbids amendments on the floor

Open rule

sets less strict time limits on debate and permits amendments from the floor

Oldest and most powerful committee in the house

Ways and means committee

Ways and Means Committee

House committee that has jurisdiction on all taxation, tariffs and other revenue-raising measures (Article I, Section VII- All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives)
- members cannot serve on other house committees

Committee chairs

- call meetings, schedule hearings, hire staff, recommend majority members to sit on conference committees, and select all subcommittee chairs
- often receive favors from lobbyists and contributions from PACS

Historically chairs have been choose by \____________, however now they are elected but seniority is still norm

Seniority system

About \_____________ are introduced each year

5,000

About how many bills make it into law?

125/5000\= 2.5%

Who can write a bill?

anyone
- most originate in the executive branch
- business, labor, agriculture and other interest groups often draft bills

Only members of congress can introduce bills and do so by dropping bill in \_________________- a box hanging on edge of clerk's desk

Hopper

Bill

Legislative proposal that if passed by both HoR and Senate in identical form and approved by POTUS becomes law

Simple resolution

Legislation used to express the sense of the House or Senate. H.RES or S.RES. Affects only the chamber passing it not signed by president, and cannot become public law.

Concurrent resolution

Same as simple resolution except it expresses position of both chambers on non- legislative matter to set annual budget or fix adjournment dates. H.Co.REs do not carry the weight of law

Joint resolution

Legislation that is similar to bill, unless it proposed a constitutional amendment (need 2/3s maj and ratification of 3/4 state w/out POTUS signature). Same effect as law, but used when need to declare war, create temporary commissions, temporary exceptions to law, and authorize small appropriations

T or F: most bills die in committee, pigeonholed or buried

True

discharge petition

Petition that, if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration.

Filibuster

A lengthy speech designed to delay or kill the vote on a bill; used only in the Senate

Cloture

Filibuster can be stopped if 60 senators vote for this and cut off debate

Hold

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of the bill or nomination.

Differences between house and senate legislative processes

- continuity of membership and impact this has on rules
- ways in which bills get to the floor
- structure of floor process including amendments

Rider

Non-germane provision added to piece of legislation to either get president to sing an objectionable le bill or to get president to veto bill he would otherwise i\=sign.

Christmas tree bill

a bill with many riders

Earmarks

Federally funded local projects attached to bills passed through Congress.

Logrolling

An agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other's bills

omnibus legislation

Large bills that often cover several topics and may contain extraneous, or pork-barrel, projects.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

The president's budgeting arm; headed by a director (more like an accountant)

Congress can \_____________ the budget every year- make changes to revenue or spending

Reconcile

Sources of revenue

- individual income taxes
- corporate taxes
- social insurance taxes (social security, Medicaid, unemployment)
- tariffs and excise taxes (on imported goods and non-essentials)
- other sources (interest on government investment, estate taxes)

mandatory spending

- Required govt spending by permanent laws (social security, medicare and Medicaid, unemployment)
- student loans
- federal employee benefits/ salaries
- interest on debt

Deficit

Occurs when the needed amount exceeds the expected revenue

Discretionary spending

- pays for everything else not required under mandatory spending
- includes defense, Human Resources, physical resources
- more federal spending\= more taxpayer $$

Delegate model

Members of congress cast votes that reflected the preferences of the majority of their constituents

Trustee model

Members of congress use their best judgment to make policy in the interests of the people

Politico model

Members of congress act as delegates or trustees, depending on the issue

Electronic voting system

Yea/nay votes or recorded votes in HOuse

roll-call vote

a voting method in the Senate in which members voice their votes in turn

Voice vote

A congressional voting procedure in which members shout "yea" in approval or "nay" in disapproval, permitting members to vote quickly or anonymously on bills. No record of insidiously responses is available

Enrolled

After a measure has been passed in identical form by both the House and Senate

After a bill is enrolled

Sent to the president who may sign the measure into law, veto it and return it to congress, let it become law without signature, or at the end of a session, pocket-veto it.

pocket veto

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it.

Oversight

Congressional review of the activities of an executive agency, department or office i.e. How laws get implemented