National Legislature

The National Legislature

• The United States has a representative democracy. We choose those who make our laws

A Bicameral Congress

• Senate and House of Representatives

• Three reason for Bicameral Congress:

  • Historical

  • Practical

  • Theoretical

Historical

• Britain has had a bicameral system since the 1300’s

• Most colonial legislatures were bicameral

Practical

• A Bicameral Congress was part of the Connecticut Compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans

Theoretical

• Each house is a check on the other’s power

  • The Capitol building itself is split into the House and Senate

• If a bill passes in the House, then the Senate must get 60 votes (60%) to allow it to continue

• The Bill then passes to the President who can approve or veto

Terms

• Each term of Congress lasts two years

• Each term begins on noon of January 3rd of every odd numbered year

• Terms are split into sessions

• The Constitution give the President the power to prorogue

• Prorogue - To end a session when the two houses can’t agree on a date for adjournment

Special Sessions

• The President can call a special session, or a meeting to deal with an emergency situation

• He can call either or both houses

• Does not happen often

  • Harry Truman called one after having a 32% approval rating in the recession after WWII

    • He suggested a list of ways to improve the economy, expecting Republican Congress to reject them in order to reflect blame and get reelected

Supreme Court Cases

Wesburry v. Sanders, 1964

• Set up the principle of “one person, one vote” and demanded that districts have equal population