The Legislative Branch Congress Article I of the Constitution By putting the Legislative Branch first, and because it is the longest article of them all, our forefathers are telling us that it is the most important Enumerated Powers from Article I The power to tax Important because they really needed money The power to borrow money The power to regulate trade The power over citizenship and immigration The power to define the law of bankruptcy The power to make national currency The power to choose the standard of measurement The power to make the punishment for making fake money The power to make post offices The power of Intellectual property/ copyright patents The power to have Federal Courts The power to Piracy The power to Declare War Army, Navy, and rules for the military Militia/ Rules for militia National Capital Necessary Laws Writ of Habeas Corpus Makeup House of Representatives - 435 members, apportioned by population Requirements - Citizen for a minimum of 7 years At least 25 years old Live where you represent Term- 2 years then everyone is up for re-election Tennessee? - 9 districts = 9 Representatives 3rd district - Rep. Chuck Fleischman- R Senate - 100, 2 from each state Requirements -Citizen for a minimum of 9 years At least 30 years old Live where you represent Term - 6 years and re-election is rotated ⅓ is up every 2 years Tennessee? - Sen. Marsha Blackburn- R Sen. Bill Hagerty- R Influencers Constituents Voters in an area of representation Political Party Group of people who share beliefs that are trying to run the government Personal Views Views that influence a person's decisions Which is the biggest influence? Political party because that is the way that everything gets done Term Limits There are no term limits so you can keep getting re-elected Creates Career Politicians- serve for more than 10 years Incumbency Running for the position you already hold Earmarks/Pork-Barrel Projects Funding for a special, local project that only benefits a certain number of constituents Log-Rolling Congressmen who will make deals with each other so that they can promise their constituents certain thing The House of Representatives Their main job is to make the law Accomplished through committees Influence of Constituents Within the committee appointments, you want to be able to help your constituents out by making laws for something that is going to benefit them Influence of Party Your political party is going to decide what committee you are appointed to Leadership Speaker of the House Chosen by the majority party, then the house approves Presides over sessions (runs the meetings), influences through recognizing members (determines who talks), scheduling bills (the most powerful, don’t have to put bills on the schedule), refers bills, follows VP in line for Presidency (3rd inline) Kevin McCarthy is the current Speaker of the House Other Leaders under the Speaker House Majority Leader (Republican) Majority Whip This is simply just the person who is in charge of the party that has more followers. House Minority Leader (Democrat) Minority Whip This is simply just a person who is in charge of the party that has the second-highest followers. Apportionment The process is dividing up each state into districts determined by population Census The counting of the population of the US every ten years Apportion per state the 435 seats based on new population You can only gain more seats if you gain population If there is a change… The state has to re-draw their district map What issues would make this process hard? Gerrymandering When states redraw the lines to boost your own political party Baker vs Carr, 1961 Details of the case People were mad because TN didn’t apportion equally Ruling Supreme Court rules that they can tell the state what to do when it comes to apportionment How does this affect apportionment It makes Gerrymanding illegal Creation of Legislation Bill 1000s proposed and sent to specific officiating committees 10-20% reaches the floor for a vote House Rules Committee (only house) “The traffic cop of Congress” In charge of bills: which committee will see the bill, how fast they go through the system, how and when legislation will be considered by the house The Speaker of the House is the chairman so they get to decide They are important because they set up the agenda for the whole house, always going to reflect what the majority party wants The Senate (currently a majority of democrats) They are working to pass bills Less chaotic/more flexible because there are fewer rules All senators have maximum freedom to express their ideas Unlimited Debate Vice President Presides over Senate but has no voting power unless there is a tie Recognizes members and puts questions to a vote Can influence members with personal contact Absent a lot of the time The Vice President is normally in charge of foreign affairs so they aren’t home most of the time President Pro Tempore The most senior member of the majority party, elected by the Senate Presides over Senate in VP’s absence 4th in line for President Majority and Minority Floor Leaders Most important officers in the Senate Majority Leader- plans Senate’s work schedule and agenda Their party’s leader Currently- Majority leader (D- Chuck Schumer) Minority leader (R- Mitch McConnell) Bills Lots are proposed, but no commitment to regulate the schedule Just goes to committees and then to the floor for debate Filibuster One way for senators to defeat a bill they oppose Keep talking until a majority of the Senate either abandons the bill or agrees to modify its most controversial provisions Vote of Cloture to end Filibuster- Supermajority Committees- the powerhouse of Congress Standing, Select, Joint, Conference Standing (house and senate version) Permanent committees are going to look at the big government issues Select (house and senate versions) Temporary committees are going to look at specific issues Joint (both house and senate) A committee that passes bills quickly, occurs at the beginning of the bill cycle An unexpected occurrence, quick decision, emergencies only Conference (both house and senate) A committee that combines two bills and makes a compromise, occurs at the end of the bill cycle Committee Makeup Fixed number of seats, majority party gets most (ratio changes) House members- serve on 2 committees (one major, one minor) Senate- serves on 4 committees, only 2 major committees (example: Foreign Relations or Finance) The committee must have a vacancy in order to appoint new members Seniority/Re-election/Majority Party determines in Congressmen stay on a committee Chairperson- powerful head of committees Schedule meetings and decides which bills to consider and when they go to debate it usually leads to debate Always a member of the majority party, usually with the most seniority (committee seniority not in Congress)

Is Congress Broken? What was the framer's intent for Congress? How do we know? They wanted Congress to be the most powerful branch because they are the closest to the people. The very first article of the Constitution, a lot of enumerated powers, the longest article Functions of Congress Delegate Vote according to what their Constituents want all of the time Representative They were elected to think what they want, go off of what they think they should do Politico If Constituents have a strong opinion on a subject, the person will vote for the people but if they don’t have a strong opinion, they will vote for themselves Partisan Vote depending on how your political party views something Who has the Power within Congress? Committees- seen as “Little Legislatures” Seen that way because all of them can have a huge effect on any bill that comes through Seniority Considered this when you have been elected for awhile Majority Party Leadership, schedule, majority of every committee, chairperson of every committee, majority rules when it comes to voting Why do Americans distrust Congress? Because Republicans and Democrats can’t get along enough to make a law that helps out both sides Divided Government/Gridlock

How a Bill becomes a Law House Senate Bill is introduced and by turning it into the hopper 1. Bill is announced by a senator on the floor Bill is given a # HR123 2. Bill is given a #: 5456

Committee Action House Rules com. will see bill first , then decided to send to a standing com.

How a Bill becomes a Law

Is Congress Broken? What was the farmer's intent for Congress? - They wanted congress to be the strongest branch because they talk about congress first and given 75 enumerated power longest article most about the people the most powerful and the most important How do we know? Functions of Congress Delegate - going to congress and doing what their constituents say Representatives - it doesn't matter what the constituents want I get to decide what is best on every law and vote on their own bias what they think is best they rely more on themselves Politico - its a hybrid of the two constituents wish are doing their issues they care they vote while other situations they are going to do what they want Partisan - The idea you vote what your party wants you to Who has the power within Congress? committees - seen as “little legislatures” - committee action they decided what bills go and what they don’t they have a lot of influence on bills by rewriting it and killing it or keeping it Seniority - the longer he stuck around the more power he got in committee The longer you are in office the more power you get in committee Majority Party - more number of seats you get more votes, majority rules, the most seats in committees, every single chair person of every committee, all the big leadership of the whole house, They get control the schedule what bills to consider Constituents are not on the list Constituents matter to get voted in and reelected Its all about pleasing your party Be in the majority and please party It is not constituents No parties are written in the constitution Why do Americans distrust congress? - forging compromise. Congress has become just a platform of outrage,congress only wants to vast in the spotlight, congress fails to follow its own letters of congress, blurred the lines of congress and entertainment, and work through the legislative branch. It will remain the weakest branch, Is to be really public about others as the bad guys, no incentive to work together anymore Divided Government/ Gridlock - when congress doesn’t get along it cause gridlock no movement you can’t pass any laws divided branches and within the branch