The Structure and Organization of Congress: Representing Voter Interests

1. Splash Screen

2. Essential Question Section 1:Congressional Membership Section 2:The House of Representatives Section 3:The Senate Section 4:Congressional Committees Section 5:Staff and Support Agencies Chapter Summary Chapter Menu

3. What is the basic structure and organization of Congress as it represents the interests of the voters? Essential Question

4. Chapter Preview-End

5. Content Vocabulary • bicameral legislature • session • census • reapportionment • redistrict • gerrymander • at-large • censure • incumbent Section 1-Content Vocabulary

6. Academic Vocabulary • formulate • occur • trace Section 1-Academic Vocabulary

7. Reading Strategy As you read, complete a table like the one below to help you compare the qualifications for representatives and senators. Section 1-Reading Strategy

8. A B Does gerrymandering have a positive or negative affect on the process of reapportionment? A. positive B. negative Section 1-Polling Question

9. Congressional Sessions • The U.S. Congress is a bicameral legislature,meaning it is made up of two houses: • the Senate, and • the House of Representatives. • Each Congressional term is two sessions, or meetings. • A session lasts one year and includes breaks for holidays and vacations. Section 1

10. A B C The U.S. Congress is a bicameral legislature, meaning A.it is made up of two houses. B.its term is made up of two sessions. C.it is made up of two political parties. Section 1 – DQ1

11. Membership of the House • The House of Representatives has 435 members. • Members of the House must be: • at least 25 years old, • citizens of the U.S. for at least 7 years, and • legal residents of the state that elects them. • Members of the House are elected for two-year terms. Section 1

12. Membership of the House (cont.) • To assign representatives on the basis of population, the Census Bureau takes a national census, or population count, every 10 years. • Each state’s population determines the number of representatives it will have for the next 10 years through the process ofreapportionment. Congressional Apportionment, 2000 Section 1

13. Membership of the House (cont.) • Redistricting is the process of setting up new district lines within each state after reapportionment. • State legislatures have abused their power to divide the state into congressional districts by gerrymandering—drawing distinct boundaries to give one party an electoral advantage. North Carolina CongressionalDistricts, 2002 Section 1

14. A B C D Each state’s number of representatives is based on A.geographical size. B.historical precedent. C.population size. D.the House Speaker’s preference. Section 1 – DQ2

15. Membership of the Senate • The Senate is composed of 100 members–two from each state. • All voters of each state elect senators at-large, or statewide, with no particular district. • The Senate and the House set their own salaries. Swings in Control of Congress Section 1

16. Membership of the Senate (cont.) • Members enjoy benefits and resources such as stationery, postage for official business, a medical clinic, and allowances to pay for staff, trips, telephones, telegrams, and newsletters. • Both the House and Senate may judge the qualifications of new members and decide whether to seat them. • Each house may punish its members for disorderly behavior by censure—a vote of formal disapproval of a member’s actions. Section 1

17. A B C D What constitutional requirement is needed for election to the Senate? A.must be at least 25 years of age B.must be a U.S. citizen for 7 years before the election C.must be at least 30 years of age D.must be a natural-born U.S. citizen Section 1 – DQ3

18. The Members of Congress • Congress includes 535 voting members—100 senators and 435 representatives. • There are 4 non-voting delegates in the House—1 each from the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands—and 1 resident commissioner from Puerto Rico. Profile of the 111th Congress Section 1

19. The Members of Congress (cont.) • In recent years, Congress has slowly begun to reflect more racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. • Membership in Congress changes slowly because incumbents—members who are already in office, often win reelection. • The Internet has joined TV and radio as an important campaigning tool. The Power of Incumbency Section 1

20. A B C D Why might an incumbent win reelection? A.an increase in new voters B.voter recognition C.the inability to raise campaign funds more easily D.constituents want political change Section 1 – DQ4

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22. Content Vocabulary • constituent • caucus • majority leader • whip • bill • calendar • quorum Section 2-Content Vocabulary

23. Academic Vocabulary • available • parallel • constitute Section 2-Academic Vocabulary

24. Reading Strategy Use a graphic organizer similar to the one below to help you take notes about the organization of leaders in the House. Section 2-Reading Strategy

25. A B C D Which is the most important power held by the Speaker of the House? A. influencing proceedings by deciding which members to recognize first B. appointing the members of committees C.scheduling bills for action D.following the vice president in the line of presidential succession Section 2-Polling Question

26. Rules for Lawmaking • The House and Senate have organized themselves in a way that will help them carry out their obligation to make the laws. • House rules are aimed at defining the actions an individual representative can take. • Committees of Congress perform most legislative activity. • Representatives tend to specialize in issues that are important to their constituents—the people in the districts they represent. Section 2

27. Rules for Lawmaking (cont.) • In each house, the majority party gets to select the leaders to control the flow of legislative work and appoint the chairs of all committees. Section 2

28. A B C D Who gets to select the leaders of the House and Senate? A.the minority party B.the Speaker of the House C.the majority party D.the president Section 2 – DQ1

29. House Leadership • Leaders of the House coordinate the work of 435 individual members by meeting six goals: • organizing and unifying party members, • scheduling work, • making certain that lawmakers are present for key floor votes, • distributing and collecting information, Section 2

30. House Leadership (cont.) • keeping the House in touch with the president, and • influencing lawmakers to support their party’s positions. • The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer and its most powerful leader. • A caucus, or closed meeting, of the majority party chooses the House Speaker at the start of each session of Congress. Section 2

31. House Leadership (cont.) • The Speaker has several powers, including: • influencing proceedings by deciding which members to recognize first, • appointing the members of some committees, • scheduling bills for action and referring bills to the proper House committee, and • following the vice president in the line of succession to the presidency. Section 2

32. House Leadership (cont.) • The majority leader,the Speaker’s top assistant, is responsible for: • helping plan the party’s legislative program, • steering important bills through the House, and • making sure the chairpersons of the many committees finish work on bills that are important to the party. Section 2

33. House Leadership (cont.) • The majority leader is the floor leader of his or her political party in the House and is elected by the majority party. • Majority whips and deputy whips are assistant floor leaders in the House. • The majority whip’s job is to monitor how majority-party members vote onbills. • The minority party in the House elects its own leader and whip with responsibilities that parallel the duties of the majority party. Section 2

34. A B C D The presiding officer and most powerful leader of the House is A.the majority leader. B.the president pro tempore. C.the Speaker of the House. D.the vice president. Section 2 – DQ2

35. Lawmaking in the House • A proposed law is called a bill until both houses of Congress pass it and the president signs it. • The Speaker of the House sends bills to the appropriate committee for review. • Only 10 to 20 percent of bills ever get to the full House for a vote. • Bills that survive the committee process are put on one of the House calendars, which list bills that are up for consideration. Section 2

36. Lawmaking in the House (cont.) • After a committee has considered and approved a major bill, it usually goes to the House Rules Committee. • Major bills that reach the floor of the House do so by a special order from the Rules Committee. • The Rules Committee has the power to delay or block bills that representatives and House leaders do not want to come to a vote on the floor. Section 2

37. Lawmaking in the House (cont.) • A quorumis the minimum number of members needed for official legislative action. • For a regular session, a quorum requires a majority of 218 members. Section 2

38. A B C D The House calendar that deals with money issues is the A.Discharge Calendar. B.Consent Calendar. C.Private Calendar. D.Union Calendar. Section 2 – DQ3

39. Section 2-End

40. Content Vocabulary • president pro tempore • filibuster • cloture Section 3-Content Vocabulary

41. Academic Vocabulary • specific • assistant • devote Section 3-Academic Vocabulary

42. Reading Strategy Use a graphic organizer like the one below to list the differences in the everyday operations of the House and the Senate. Section 3-Reading Strategy

43. A B C Is employing a filibuster an effective way of preventing a bill from coming to a vote? A. yes B. no C.sometimes Section 3-Polling Question

44. The Senate at Work • The Senate deliberates, or formally discusses, public policies. • The vice president presides over the Senate but cannot vote except to break a tie. • In the absence of the vice president, the president pro tempore—elected by the Senate from the majority party—presides. Section 3

45. The Senate at Work (cont.) • The Senate majority leader steers the party’s bills through the Senate and makes sure that party members attend important sessions and gets support for key bills. • The Senate minority leader critiques the majority party’s bills and keeps his or her own party united. • The Senate brings bills to the floor by unanimous consent. Section 3

46. The Senate at Work (cont.) • To filibustermeans to extend debate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote. • A vote for cloturelimits the debate by allowing each senator only one hour for speaking on a bill. • The majority party controls the flow of bills in the Senate. Section 3

47. A B C How does a vote of cloture limit debate on the Senate floor? A.It allows one senator to speak endlessly. B.It prevents Senators from the minority party from speaking. C.It allows each senator to speak for no more than one hour. Section 3 – DQ1

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49. Content Vocabulary • standing committee • subcommittee • select committee • joint committee • conference committee • seniority system Section 4-Content Vocabulary

50. Academic Vocabulary • issue • investigation • temporary Section 4-Academic Vocabulary