Chapter 10 Section 1 The National Legislature



U.S. Government

Chapter 10

Section 1 The National Legislature

I. Congress-most basic governmental function in a democratic society-translating public will into public policy in the form of law

A. Bicameral legislature

2 houses for 3 reasons

1. historical-British Parliament had 2 houses

2. practical-bicameral to settle dispute between the VA plan & the NJ plan

3. theoretical-theory that one house would act as a check on the other

B. Two year terms beginning at noon on the 3rd day of Jan of every odd numbered year

-112th Congress began on 1/3/13 and ends on 1/3/15

-Session is that period during the year that Congress meets & conducts business; usually Jan through late Nov…so 2 sessions in each term.

-neither side may adjourn sine die(formally) without the consent of the other. (Article I, section 5)

C. Special Sessions

-Only the President can call Congress into special session-only 26 have ever been held.

-can call one or both houses-Senate alone has been called 46 times, House alone has never been called

Section 2 The House of Representatives

I. House of Representatives-

A. 435 members-set by Congress not the Constitution-Constitution states that the total # of seats be apportioned based on population

-7 states have 1 representative

-5 districts have a voice but not a vote-D.C., Guam, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico & American Samoa

-Two year term-unlimited # of terms-it has been proposed that the # of terms be limited to 3-4 terms

B. Qualifications

-25 years old, resident of state & U.S. citizen for 7 yrs

- inhabitant of the state they represent

-Informal qualifications

vote-getting ability

gender, ethnicity, name recognition, political experience

C. Reapportionment-done after the census every 10 years

-Reapportionment Act of 1929 set up “automatic reapportionment”

-Set permanent size at 435

-after the census, the Census Bureau determines the # of seats each State should have

-when plan is ready the President sends it to Congress

-if not rejected within 60 days then the plan becomes effective

D. Elections-Tues following the first Monday in Nov of each even numbered year

-Alaskans can hold this in October if desired

-those elections held in non presidential years are called off-year elections; next in 2010

* usually the party of the presidency loses seats in off year elections

E. Districts

-435 separate congressional districts

-single member district-can select from candidates running from that district

-at-large-no longer used

-gerrymandering-districts are drawn to the advantage of the political party that is in control of the state legislature

1. lines are drawn to concentrate the oppositions voters in one or a few districts thus leaving the other districts safe for the dominant party or

2. to spread the opposition as thinly as possible so as to create as many “safe” districts as possible

F. Leaders

Speaker of the House-John Boehner

-Chosen by closed party caucus & then approved by the house membership

-schedules bills & decides who speaks first

-Sam Rayburn (D-TX) 17 yrs as Speaker-known for his personal integrity

“There are no degrees of truthfulness. You are 100% or you are not”

House Majority Leader-Eric Cantor

House Minority Leader-Nancy Pelosi

Expulsion-House can expel or reprimand a member

Have only expelled 4 members in history

1980-Michael Myers for corruption

Reprimanded Barney Frank in 1990 for relationship with a male prostitute

Section 3- The Senate

Many members of the Senate once served in the House-“moved up” to the Upper House-not vice versa

A. Size

2 from each state-100 members

represents the entire state’s interests

B. Qualifications

-30 years old

-citizen for 9 years

-inhabitant of State

(New York-Hillary-carpetbagger)

C. Election

Originally chosen by State legislatures; 17th amendment changed to direct election by the people

-only 1 Senator at a time is up for election from each State

-Term- 6 years, unlimited # of terms-Strom Thurmond

-staggered terms, 1/3 expire every 2 years

-Senate is a continuous body-less subject to pressures of public opinion & special interests

-prime source for presidential nominations

D. Leaders

The President pro tempore (pron.: /ˌproʊ ˈtɛmpəriː/ or /ˌproʊ ˈtɛmpəreɪ/),[1] also president pro tem, is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate. The United States Constitution states that the Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate, despite not being a senator, and that the Senate must choose a president pro tempore. By a long-standing tradition which has been observed consistently since the 81st Congress (January 1949 – January 1951), the president pro tempore is the most senior senator in the majority party.

During the Vice President's absence, the president pro tempore is empowered to preside over Senate sessions but usually appoints another senator to do so. In practice, neither the Vice President nor the President pro tempore usually presides; instead, the duty of presiding officer is rotated among junior senators of the majority party to give them experience in parliamentary procedure.[2]

The president pro tempore is third in the line of succession to the presidency, after the Vice President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.[3]

Following the death of Daniel Inouye on December 17, 2012, Patrick Leahy, a Democrat and senior senator from Vermont, was elected to the position by unanimous consent.[4]

The office of president pro tempore is created by Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution.[5] Although the position is in some ways equivalent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the powers of the president pro tempore are far more limited. In the Senate, most power rests with party leaders and individual senators, but as the chamber's presiding officer, the president pro tempore is authorized to perform certain duties in the absence of the Vice President, including ruling on points of order.[6] Additionally, under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, the president pro tempore and the speaker are the two authorities to whom declarations must be transmitted that the president is unable to perform the duties of the office, or is able to resume doing so. The president pro tempore is third in the line of presidential succession, following the vice president and the speaker.[3][6] Additional duties include appointment of various congressional officers, certain commissions, advisory boards, and committees and joint supervision of the congressional page school.[6] The president pro tempore is the designated legal recipient of various reports to the Senate, including War Powers Act reports under which he or she, jointly with the speaker, may have the president call Congress back into session. The officeholder is an ex officio member of various boards and commissions. With the secretary and sergeant at arms, the president pro tempore maintains order in Senate portions of the Capitol and Senate buildings.[6][7]

President Pro Tempore- Patrick Leahy D

Majority Leader-Harry Reid

Minority Leader-Mitch McConnell

The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders are two United States Senators who are elected by the party conferences that hold the majority and the minority respectively. These leaders serve as the chief Senate spokespeople for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. By rule, the Presiding Officer gives the Majority Leader priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate. The Majority Leader customarily serves as the chief representative of his or her party in Senate, and sometimes even in all of Congress if the House of Representatives and thus the office of Speaker of the House is controlled by the opposition party.

The Assistant Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate (commonly called Senate Majority and Minority Whips) are the second-ranking members of the party leadership of the United States Senate. The main function of the Majority and Minority Whips is to gather votes on major issues. Because he or she is the second ranking member of the Senate, if there is no floor leader present, the whip may become acting floor leader. Before 1969, the official titles were Majority Whip and Minority Whip.

Many state senates are organized in the same way as the United States Senate.

E. Expulsion

15 members have been expelled-14 during the Civil War for supporting the secession of the South

recommended expulsion for Senator Packwood for sexual harassment & other misconduct-he resigned

Section 4- The Members of Congress

Characteristics

White, male, married with 2 children, Protestant, college-educated, U.S. born

Jobs-5 major roles

Legislator

Representative

Committee member

Servant of their constituents

Politician

Compensation

174,000/year-rank and file

193,400/year-leadership

223,500/year-speaker

Fringe benefits

Travel allowance

Tax break for 2 residences

Medical care

Retirement-long time members get $150K/yr for life

Franking privileges-mail stuff without paying postage

Free parking at Washington airports

2 limits on pay

Pres can veto a pay raise

Voter backlash

Immunity

Cannot be held for libel or slander for things said in session-protects freedom of legislative debate

U.S. Government

Chapter 10

Section 1 The National Legislature

I. Congress-most basic governmental function in a democratic society-translating ______________into ________________ in the form of law

A. ________________ legislature

2 houses for 3 reasons

1. historical-British Parliament had 2 houses

2. practical-bicameral to settle dispute between the VA plan & the NJ plan

3. theoretical-theory that one house would act as a check on the other

B. Two year terms beginning at noon on the 3rd day of Jan of every odd numbered year

-113th Congress began on 1/3/13 and ends on ______________

-Session is that period during the year that Congress meets & conducts business; usually Jan through late Nov…so 2 sessions in each term.

-neither side may adjourn sine die(formally) without the consent of the other. (Article I, section 5)

C. Special Sessions

-Only the ____________ can call Congress into special session-only 26 have ever been held.

-can call one or both houses-Senate alone has been called 46 times, ____________ alone has never been called

Section 2 The House of Representatives

I. House of Representatives-

A. ________ members-set by Congress not the Constitution-Constitution states that the total # of seats be apportioned based on population

-7 states have 1 representative

-5 districts have a voice but not a vote-D.C., Guam, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico & American Samoa

-Two year term- ____________ # of terms-it has been proposed that the # of terms be limited to 3-4 terms

B. Qualifications

-____ years old, resident of state & U.S. citizen for 7 yrs

- inhabitant of the state they represent

-Informal qualifications

vote-getting ability

gender, ethnicity, name recognition, political experience

C. ______________________-done after the census every 10 years

-Reapportionment Act of 1929 set up “automatic reapportionment”

-Set permanent size at 435

-after the census, the _____________________determines the # of seats each State should have

-when plan is ready the ______________ sends it to Congress

-if not rejected within 60 days then the plan becomes effective

D. Elections-Tues following the first Monday in ___________ of each even numbered year

-Alaskans can hold this in October if desired

-those elections held in non presidential years are called off-year elections; next in 2010

* usually the party of the ________________ loses seats in off year elections

E. Districts

-435 ______________ congressional districts

-single member district-can select from candidates running from that district

-at-large-no longer used

-__________________-districts are drawn to the advantage of the political party that is in control of the state legislature

1. lines are drawn to concentrate the oppositions voters in one or a few districts thus leaving the other districts safe for the dominant party or

2. to spread the opposition as thinly as possible so as to create as many “safe” districts as possible

F. Leaders

Speaker of the House-______________________

-Chosen by closed party caucus & then approved by the house membership

-schedules bills & decides who speaks first

-Sam Rayburn (D-TX) 17 yrs as Speaker-known for his personal integrity

“There are no degrees of truthfulness. You are 100% or you are not”

House Majority Leader- ___________________

House Minority Leader-____________________

Expulsion-House can expel or reprimand a member

Have only expelled 4 members in history

1980-Michael Myers for corruption

Reprimanded Barney Frank in 1990 for relationship with a male prostitute

Section 3- The Senate

Many members of the Senate once served in the House-“moved up” to the _________ House-not vice versa

A. Size

___ from each state-100 members

represents the entire state’s interests

B. Qualifications

-____ years old

-citizen for____ years

-inhabitant of State

(New York-Hillary-carpetbagger)

C. Election

Originally chosen by State legislatures; ______ amendment changed to direct election by the people

-only 1 Senator at a time is up for election from each State

-Term- ___ years, unlimited # of terms-Strom Thurmond

-staggered terms, _____ expire every 2 years

-Senate is a continuous body-_______ subject to pressures of public opinion & special interests

-prime source for presidential nominations

D. Leaders

The President pro tempore (pron.: /ˌproʊ ˈtɛmpəriː/ or /ˌproʊ ˈtɛmpəreɪ/),[1] also president pro tem, is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate. The United States Constitution states that the Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate, despite not being a senator, and that the Senate must choose a president pro tempore. By a long-standing tradition which has been observed consistently since the 81st Congress (January 1949 – January 1951), the president pro tempore is the most senior senator in the majority party.

During the Vice President's absence, the president pro tempore is empowered to preside over Senate sessions but usually appoints another senator to do so. In practice, neither the Vice President nor the President pro tempore usually presides; instead, the duty of presiding officer is rotated among junior senators of the majority party to give them experience in parliamentary procedure.[2]

The president pro tempore is third in the line of succession to the presidency, after the Vice President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.[3]

Following the death of Daniel Inouye on December 17, 2012, Patrick Leahy, a Democrat and senior senator from Vermont, was elected to the position by unanimous consent.[4]

The office of president pro tempore is created by Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution.[5] Although the position is in some ways equivalent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the powers of the president pro tempore are far more limited. In the Senate, most power rests with party leaders and individual senators, but as the chamber's presiding officer, the president pro tempore is authorized to perform certain duties in the absence of the Vice President, including ruling on points of order.[6] Additionally, under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, the president pro tempore and the speaker are the two authorities to whom declarations must be transmitted that the president is unable to perform the duties of the office, or is able to resume doing so. The president pro tempore is third in the line of presidential succession, following the vice president and the speaker.[3][6] Additional duties include appointment of various congressional officers, certain commissions, advisory boards, and committees and joint supervision of the congressional page school.[6] The president pro tempore is the designated legal recipient of various reports to the Senate, including War Powers Act reports under which he or she, jointly with the speaker, may have the president call Congress back into session. The officeholder is an ex officio member of various boards and commissions. With the secretary and sergeant at arms, the president pro tempore maintains order in Senate portions of the Capitol and Senate buildings.[6][7]

President Pro Tempore- Patrick Leahy D

Majority Leader-Harry Reid

Minority Leader-Mitch McConnell

The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders are two United States Senators who are elected by the party conferences that hold the majority and the minority respectively. These leaders serve as the chief Senate spokespeople for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. By rule, the Presiding Officer gives the Majority Leader priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate. The Majority Leader customarily serves as the chief representative of his or her party in Senate, and sometimes even in all of Congress if the House of Representatives and thus the office of Speaker of the House is controlled by the opposition party.

The Assistant Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate (commonly called Senate Majority and Minority Whips) are the second-ranking members of the party leadership of the United States Senate. The main function of the Majority and Minority Whips is to gather votes on major issues. Because he or she is the second ranking member of the Senate, if there is no floor leader present, the whip may become acting floor leader. Before 1969, the official titles were Majority Whip and Minority Whip.

Many state senates are organized in the same way as the United States Senate.

E. Expulsion

15 members have been expelled-14 during the Civil War for supporting the secession of the South

recommended expulsion for Senator Packwood for sexual harassment & other misconduct-he resigned

Section 4- The Members of Congress

Characteristics

White, male, married with 2 children, Protestant, college-educated, U.S. born

Jobs-5 major roles

_______________

_______________

_______________ member

_______________ of their constituents

_______________

Compensation

174,000/year-rank and file

193,400/year-leadership

223,500/year-speaker

Fringe benefits

Travel allowance

Tax break for 2 residences

Medical care

Retirement-long time members get $150K/yr for life

Franking privileges-mail stuff without paying postage

Free parking at Washington airports

2 limits on pay

Pres can veto a pay raise

Voter backlash

Immunity

Cannot be held for __________ or ___________ for things said in session-protects freedom of legislative debate

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