The Legislative Branch: An Overview of Congress

The Bicameral Congress State one power of the House. State one power of the Senate. What was the name of the compromise that created a bicameral congress? Which house is considered the “upper” house? Why?

Two Houses of Congress The Constitution creates a bicameral congress for 3 reasons: Historical: The British Parliament consisted of two houses since the 1300s, and many colonial assemblies were similar in form. Practical: A bicameral legislature was necessary to compromise the Virginia and New Jersey plans of representation. Theoretical: The framers favored a bicameral congress so that one house could act as a check on the other.

Terms A term is a length of time that officials serve after an election, such as a two-year or six-year term. The date for the start of each new term has been set by the 20th Amendment (1933) as “noon of the 3rd day of January” of every odd-numbered year.

Sessions of Congress A session is a regular period of time during which Congress conducts business. Congress adjourns, or suspends until the next session, as it sees fit. If necessary, the President has the power to prorogue, or adjourn, a session if the two houses cannot agree on a date. The President may call Congress into a special session -- a meeting to deal with an emergency situation.

The House of Representatives

Size and Terms of the House The exact size of the House, currently at 435 members, is determined by Congress. The Constitution says that the total number of seats in the House shall be apportioned (distributed) among the states based on the size of their respective populations. Members of the House serve a term of 2 years There are no limits set on the number of terms a representative may serve

Reapportionment Article I of the Constitution directs Congress to reapportion - redistribute - the seats of the House after each decennial census (every 10 years). As the US grew in population, the number of representatives in the House also grew The Reapportionment Act of 1929 set the “permanent” size of the House at 435 members, and provided for “automatic reapportionment.”

Congressional Elections Congressional elections are held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even- numbered year. Off-year elections are those congressional elections held between presidential elections.

Districts and Gerrymandering Under the single-member district arrangement, voters in each district select one of the State’s representatives. The general-ticket system (no longer used) allowed voters to elect and fill all of the State’s empty seats Districts with unusual shapes sometimes have been gerrymandered Gerrymandering refers to drawing congressional districts to advantage the political party that holds power in that state’s legislature

Gerrymandering What is gerrymandering? What is the purpose of gerrymandering? What could be the problem with gerrymandering?

Printed in March 1812, this political cartoon was drawn in reaction to the newly drawn state senate election district of South Essex created by the Massachusetts legislature to favor the Democratic-Republican Party candidates of Governor Elbridge Gerry over the Federalists. What is the message of this political cartoon? What do you think is the author’s opinion about gerrymandering?

Karen Bass (D) - 37th District

Qualifications for House Members Must be at least 25 years old Must have been a citizen of the US for at least 7 years Must be a resident of the state they are running in The realities of politics means they must often meet informal qualifications, such as party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic identity/characteristics, and political experience.

The Senate

Size, Election, and Terms The Constitution says that the Senate “shall be composed of two Senators from each State.” Originally, the Constitution said that state legislatures chose senators In 1912, the 17th Amendment was passed and called for the popular election of senators Senators serve a term of 6 years The Senate is a continuous body, meaning all of its seats are never up for election at the same time

James Madison argued that the Senate was more important than the House because the longer terms in office support continuity in lawmaking.

Dianne Feinstein (D) - since 1992 Kamala Harris (D) - since 2017

Qualifications for Senators Must be at least 30 years old Must have been a citizen for at least 9 years Must be a resident the state they are running in The requirements for the Senate are higher than for the House of Representatives