The National Legislature

1. The National Legislature Chapter 10 Section 1

2. Bicameralism • Congress consists of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate. • Congress has its roots in the British and colonial history. • The bicameral legislature is a reflection of federalism and a compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey plans of 1787. • The two houses of Congress act to check and balance each other.

3. Test Question The bicameral structure of Congress does all of the following EXCEPT a. Reflect the Constitution’s provisions for establishing a legislature. b. Concentrate power in a single, centralized agency. c. Enable one house to check and balance the other. d. Allow fair and equal representation of the States at the national level

4. Test Question The lawmaking function of Congress is central to democracy because a. It enables elected representatives to do the daily work of government. b. Legislative powers are necessary to check the power of the President. c. It frees members of Congress from the pressures of public opinion. d. It is the means by which the public will becomes public policy.

5. Terms and Sessions of Congress • A term is the length of time between elections in Congress (two years). • Each term of Congress consists of two sessions, one during each year of a term. • The President may call a special session to deal with some pressing issue.

6. Test Question Since World War II, each session of Congress has typically lasted a. two years b. most of the year c. five months d. four months

7. The House of Representatives Chapter 10 Section 2

8. Size and Terms • Today there are 435 members of the House. • The total number of seats is apportioned among the HOR on the basis of their respective populations. • Each State is guaranteed at least one seat in the House. • Representatives hold office for two-year terms. • No limit exist on the number of terms representatives may serve

9. Test Question Which of the following is NOT true of the House of Representatives? a. It has 435 members. b. The total number of seats in the House is fixed by the Constitution. c. Each member represents one congressional district. d. Every State is represented by at least one member.

10. Reapportionment • Reapportionment is a redistribution of the seats in the House as a result of the decennial census. • In 1929 the number of seats in the House was fixed at 435, to be redistributed every 10 years according to the census.

11. Test Question After each census, which of the following determines the number of seats each State should have in the House of Representatives? a. the Census Bureau b. Congress c. a special House committee d. the President

12. Congressional Elections • Date-Congressional elections are held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. • Off-Year Elections-Congressional elections occurring in nonpresidential election years are called off-year elections, in which the party holding the presidency often loses seats.

13. Districts • Members of the House are chosen by the voters in geographical districts in their States; districts are drawn by State legislatures • All seats in the House are filled from single-member districts, in which the voters in each district are able to elect one of the State’s representatives from among a field of candidates running in that district.

14. Gerrymandering • Congressional districts often have been gerrymandered, or drawn to the advantage of the faction that controls the State legislature.

15. North Carolina’s 4th district

16. Wesberry v. Sanders, 1964 • For many years, rural congressional districts with few people were overrepresented in the House, at the expense of urban and suburban districts. • The Supreme Court in the 1964 case, Wesburry v. Sanders, held that sections of States may not be over- or underrepresented in Congress, upholding the principle that one person’s vote should be worth as much as another’s.

17. Qualifications for House Members • Members of the House must be at least 25 years of age, have been a citizen for at least seven years, and must be an inhabitant of the State he or she represents. • The House judges the acceptability of individual members and may vote to censure or remove members. • The Supreme Court, in Powell v. McCormack (1969), ruled that the House may not exclude any member-elect who meets the constitution’s requirements.

18. Test Question Which qualification for House members is NOT in the Constitution? a. must be at least 25 years old b. must have been a citizen for at least seven years c. must live in the State from which chosen from d. must live in the district being represented

19. The Senate Chapter 10 Section 3

20. Election and Terms • The Senate consists of 100 members, two from each State. • Since 1914, members of the Senate have been chosen by the people at regular November elections. • Senators serve six-year terms that are staggered so that only a third of the members are up for election every two years (a continuous body).

21. Test Question • Which statement about the Senate is true? a. It has two members from each State. b. Its members are chosen by State legislatures. c. Each member represents one congressional district. d. Seats are apportioned among the States according to their populations.

22. The Senate • Because senators serve longer terms than the House members and because they represent the views of their entire State, senators are expected to focus less on the interests of small localities and more on the interests of their entire State and the nation.

23. Test Question Before the 17th Amendment was adopted, senators were chosen by a. the people. b. the State legislatures. c. special State conventions. d. select House committees.

24. Qualifications for Senators • Senators must be at least 30 years of age, must have been a citizen for at least nine years, and must be inhabitant of the State which he or she represents. • The Senate judges the qualifications of it’s members and may exclude a member-elect by a majority vote. The Senate may punish members with a majority vote or expel them with a two-thirds vote.

25. Test Question Luisa Ruiz may not represent Utah in the Senate because she a. was born in Guatemala. b. is 34 years old. c. lives in Utah but works in Idaho. d. has been a citizen for eight years.

26. THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS Chapter 10 Section 4

27. Personal and Political Backgrounds • Congress is not a representative cross section of the American people. • The average member of Congress is a white male in his mid-50s. • Most members are married, have children, and are members of a Christian church. • Most members are lawyers, though many have backgrounds in business, education, agriculture, journalism, or professional politics.

28. Test Question Which of the following is NOT true of the members of Congress? a. Many are lawyers. b. Most are politically experienced. c. Few rely on their salaries for income. d. Few are women or members of minority groups.

29. Duties of the Job • Members of congress must act as legislators, committee members, representatives of their constituents, servants of their constituents, and politicians. • Trustees-Many members see themselves as holders of the public trust who must decide issues based on merit alone, and not based on the opinions of constituents of any other groups

30. Delegates-Many members see themselves as agents of those who elected them and believe they should suppress their own views in favor of those of the electorate. • Partisans-Many members see themselves as bound to vote on issues according to the party platform and the wishes of party leaders. • Politicos-Many members attempt to balance the roles of trustee, delegate, and partisan.

31. Other Roles-All members of Congress also must act as servants of their constituents, providing the people back home with a wide range of services, from making appointments to military academics to helping companies in their districts obtain government contracts.

32. Test Question Members of Congress who vote according to their party’s wishes are a. trustees. b. delegates. c. partisans. d. politicos.

33. Compensation • Senators are representatives receive salaries of 174,000 per year. • Nonsalary Compensation-Members of Congress receive a wide range of fringe benefits, from low-cost medical care to free printing and distribution of speeches, newsletters, and other materials. • The Politics of Pay • Congress sets its own pay and benefits. • The President’s veto and voter backlash act to limit salaries.

34. Membership Privileges • Members may not be arrested for misdemeanor while Congress is in session. • Members are immune from court action because of any speeches they may make in Congress.

35. Test Question The Speech and Debate Clause a. applies only to floor debates in the Senate and House. b. frees members of Congress to slander others in public speeches. c. protects members of Congress from arrest for criminal offences. d. protects members of Congress from libel suits relating to official work.