Bell-ringer: 1. Which state gained the most representatives following the 2010 census? 2. What happened to most states’ number of representatives following the 2010 census? 3. In what region of the country is the population declining? 4. Why do you think that Florida and Texas are increasing in population?

The Legislative Branch: The House & Senate

Terms of Congress O The Framers of the Constitution intended to make the legislative branch the most powerful O Each term of Congress begins on January 3 of odd-numbered years, and lasts for 2 years (1 st Congress met in 1789) O A joint session occurs when the House and Senate meet together, e.g. for the president’s State of the Union address

A Bicameral Legislature O Result of The Great Compromise O House has 435 members, allotted to the states by population O Representatives serve 2 year terms O Each state is divided into a number of congressional districts; the boundaries of each should include roughly the same number of constituents

Kentucky: 1 House representative per district

Gerrymandering O State legislatures draw congressional district boundaries O Sometimes this power is abused, and the result is oddly-shaped districts that do not make geographical sense, but that increase the strength of a voting group (Democrats or Republicans) O Example: Drawing district boundaries so that registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats in most districts

Gerrymandering 1812 Political Cartoon

A Bicameral Legislature (continued) O The Senate has 100 members—2 from each state O Senators serve 6 year terms, and represent an entire state (House members represent only their congressional districts) O Elections are staggered so that no more than one-third of Senators are up for re- election at a time

Congressional Leaders O The House and Senate each has a majority and minority party O Members of the majority party of the House choose the Speaker of the House O The Speaker steers legislation throughout the House, is in charge of floor debates, and is second in line to become president House Speaker Paul Ryan O The president pro tempore acts as chairperson of the Senate --Who is the official leader of the Senate?

Types of Committees O Both houses of Congress have well-established, ongoing committees and those set up for a specific short-term purpose O Standing committees: permanent committees that continue their work from session to session; e.g. those concerned with education, veterans’ affairs, etc. O Select committees: created to do a special job for a limited time period; e.g. the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of JFK