3 Branches - Legislative Pt. 2 ROLL CALL QUESTION: COKE OR PEPSI?

Mental Floss Objective: 2.3 Identify the function and powers of the 3 Branches of Government Vocab: ◦ Census ◦ Gerrymandering ◦ Reapportionment ◦ Districts ◦ Sessions ◦ Joint session Questions 1.In your opinion, which branch of government is the most powerful? 2.Explain your answer to #1. 3.Congress cannot suspend your right to be present at your trial. What is this called?

Progress reports

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Bill to Law Vocab  Bill – a possible law introduced to Congress  Pigeonhole – ignore a bill and hope it dies  Filibuster – long speeches to delay a vote (Senate ONLY)  Cloture – a formal end to a filibuster (2/3 of the Senate have to agree)

Bill to Law Vocab  Veto –president rejects a bill  Pocket Veto –President sets a bill aside and does not sign it  If Congress is in session it will become a law  If congress is out of session, the bill dies

Committees Vocab  Standing Committee  Permanent committees  Cover area that will always be needed  Education, agriculture, foreign policy  May be divided into sub committees to divide work even more

Committees Vocab  Conference Committee  A special form of a joint committee  Used during the “bill to law” process to help members of the House and Senate agree on all issues of a bill  Iron out different versions of a bill

In the beginning…  Bills can be introduced in EITHER the House or Senate.  The only exception: money bills, which MUST begin in the House of Representatives (We will start in the House too…RIGHT side of your paper)

COMMITTEES  Read and debated by a standing committee  All committees are chaired by a member of the majority party.  The majority party has more members on each committee.  The chairperson decides when the committee will meet & sets the agenda for the committee--decides which bills will be discussed.

COMMITTEE ACTION  Pass the bill  Kill the bill  Pigeonhole the bill—ignore!

FLOOR ACTION! SENT BACK TO THE WHOLE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WHOLE HOUSE THEN DEBATES OVER THE BILL WHOLE HOUSE VOTES IF PASSED, THE BILL GOES TO THE SENATE FOR APPROVAL

 If the bill does not receive a majority of votes--at least 218--it’s dead!! The bill must be reintroduced & start the process all over :(

THE SENATE  The bill is introduced to the Senate

COMMITTEE ACTION Bill is sent to Senate standing committee. The standing committee can:  Pass the bill  Kill the bill  Pigeonhole the bill—ignore!  Filibuster - Delay vote by speaking…….

THE FILIBUSTER  As long as someone is talking, no business can take place.  The filibuster is used by the minority party to get the majority party to compromise.  The Democrats filibustered Pres. Bush’s nominees to federal courts.  A filibuster can be ended by invoking cloture.  It takes 60 votes to invoke cloture, so it is VERY difficult to end a filibuster.

FLOOR ACTION! SENT BACK TO THE WHOLE SENATE WHOLE SENATE THEN DEBATES OVER THE BILL WHOLE SENATEVOTES IF PASSED, THE BILL GOES TO THE HOUSE FOR APPROVAL

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE USED WHEN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE PASS DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF A BILL

PASSAGE  If the bill is passed, in the exact same form as passed by the House, the bill goes to the President.

TO THE PRESIDENT!!!!  Once the President receives the bill, he has 10 days to take action on the bill.

PRESIDENT ’ S OPTIONS  SIGN IT = LAW  VETO = DEAD UNLESS CONGRESS OVERRIDES W/ 2/3 VOTE  POCKET VETO

THE END!!!

In ACTION!!!!  You are going to attempt to pass a bill in class.  We will only have 6 senators (the rest of you will be House Reps.)  The VP will be in desk number 17  The Speaker of the House will be in desk number 15  You two need to keep your houses in line during the course of today.  Senators, you will convene outside my door in the hallway and form your own 2 person committees

Step 1: Introduction  What’s your issue?  You have been provided with a list of 27 Bill ideas. This should not limit your creativity.  Each person needs to write at least ONE bill. You will turn these in to Mrs. Marquez, so make sure that you use appropriate language.  After you write your bill, you will discuss your bill in your committee.

Step 2: Committee Action  Now you will be put into small groups (committee) and select one issue you will try and make a law together  Committee # 1 – Pink  Committee # 2 – Yellow Chevron  Committee # 3 – Green  Committee # 4 –Purple Polka Dots  Committee # 5 –Yellow  Committee # 6 – Pink Polka Dots  The person in the first row will be your Committee chairperson. They will decide the order bills are presented.  You must debate each other to defend your respective bill – Bills are allowed to die in committee, but you must have at least one bill to present to the class from your committee  Voting options (pass, die, pigeonhole (dies slowly))  Once you choose one of your bills, you may change the bill to be more appealing when it goes in front of the entire chamber

Step 3: Debating  You will now bring your bill to the entire chamber and debate which ONE should be move on to the next step  One representative from each Committee will be asked to present their argument for their bill in less than 30 seconds  VP and SofH must keep order during this simulation  Vote and decide which Bill should move to the other chamber  Everyone will get ONE vote per bill. The bill with the highest YES count will win!

Voting  Get your phones ready  Join this Survey at kahoot.it  with Game PIN:

Senate  You will vote by a show of hands (sorry, but you have more prestige.  Majority wins unless there is a tie. VP will vote with everyone else and then be the tie breaker too.

Step 4: Sent to Other House  The opposite house debates whether or not the bill from the other house should keep moving  You can make changes to the bill if you wish – Do we need a conference committee?

Step 5: Joint Conference Committee  The whole class will debate a determine whether or not the bill will be sent to the President for signing

Step 6: Signing  To sign or not to sign????

Determining Representation  Census : Population count taken by Census Bureau – taken every 10 years  Adjust number of reps given to each state  Some state lose and some states gain members in House – Reapportionment

Congressional Districts  Congressional Districts : each state is divided into one or more congressional districts (NC has 13)  State Legislatures must draw boundaries – redistricting  Districts must have same number of constituents

Gerrymandering  Gerrymandering : oddly shaped district designed to increase voting strength of one particular party  Majority party in General Assembly has the power to redraw lines

Congressional Sessions  a. Each term of Congress is divided into sessions or meetings usually from January to November  b. Congress or the President can call a special session when a crisis occurs  c. A joint session is when both houses meet together. Ex: During a Presidential State of the Union Address