Ch.9: State Legislatures

Quorum - minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the bizz. of that group

Nations, states, and municipalities have an officially elected assembly to perform the act of law-making which is known as a legislature.

History of Legislatures:

• Althing - Iceland, 930 AD, make laws & rule on impt. matters

Two forms of Legislatures:

• Presidential, incorporating separation of powers

• Parliamentary, incorporating integration of powers

9.1 Structure of the Legislative System

• principal lawmaking bodies of U.S. Gov.

• composition of popularly elected repps forming a multi-member body

2 Houses (excl. Nebraska):

• Upper Chamber “Senate”

• Lower Chamber “House of Representatives”

• structurally similar to the U.S. Congress

• embraced bec most states wanted landowners to have major say in the gov. despite their small number in electorate

• Senators usually serve longer (4-yrs)

  • elected by group of counties/county

• House of Rep. (2-yrs)

1962, Baker v. Carr & 1964, Reynolds v. Sims:

• argued in U.S. S.Court that: principle of “one person, one vote” be adopted in both houses as per Equal Protection Clause of 14th Amendment

• U.S. S.Court decided that population will be sole deciding factor in apportioning seats for both chambers of the state legis.

  • result: all state legis. had to have district lines for both chambers based on total pop.