CONGRESS

CONGRESSIONAL POWERS Delegated or Expressed Delegated or Expressed Power to Tax Power to Tax Must benefit public interest Must benefit public interest Cannot tax exports Cannot tax exports Levied at same rate across the country Levied at same rate across the country Commerce Power Commerce Power Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) Civil Rights Act of 1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964 Currency Power Currency Power Borrowing Power Borrowing Power Government bonds Government bonds

CONGRESSIONAL POWERS Delegated or Expressed Delegated or Expressed Bankruptcies Bankruptcies Naturalization Naturalization Procedures for becoming a citizen Procedures for becoming a citizen Post Offices Post Offices Patents and Copyrights Patents and Copyrights Weights and Measures Weights and Measures Federal Judiciary Federal Judiciary Create new courts below the Supreme Court Create new courts below the Supreme Court War Power War Power Sole power to declare war Sole power to declare war War Powers Act (1973) War Powers Act (1973)

CONGRESSIONAL POWERS Implied Powers Implied Powers “elastic clause” “elastic clause” McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) John Marshall John Marshall

CONGRESSIONAL POWERS Non-Legislative Powers Non-Legislative Powers Electoral College Electoral College No majority-the House selects the president and the Senate selects the Vice President No majority-the House selects the president and the Senate selects the Vice President 25 th Amendment 25 th Amendment Congress approves the presidential selection of a new vice president by a majority vote Congress approves the presidential selection of a new vice president by a majority vote Impeachment Impeachment House-brings charges against the accused official House-brings charges against the accused official Senate-acts as jury and can convict by a 2/3rds vote Senate-acts as jury and can convict by a 2/3rds vote Appointments and Treaty Approvals Appointments and Treaty Approvals Senate-2/3rds vote Senate-2/3rds vote Oversight Functions Oversight Functions Investigations Investigations Presidential Budget Presidential Budget

BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS Constitutional Qualifications Constitutional Qualifications House of Representatives House of Representatives 25 years old and a citizen for 7 years 25 years old and a citizen for 7 years Senate Senate 30 years old and a citizen for 9 years 30 years old and a citizen for 9 years Age and Race Age and Race House House Average age-54 Average age-54 15%-Women 15%-Women More diverse, but largely Caucasian More diverse, but largely Caucasian Senate Senate Average age-60 Average age-60 14%-women 14%-women Exclusively Caucasian Exclusively Caucasian 109 th Congress-only one African American and two Hispanics 109 th Congress-only one African American and two Hispanics

BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS Wealth, Occupation, Education, & Religion Wealth, Occupation, Education, & Religion 1/3 rd of total membership are millionaires 1/3 rd of total membership are millionaires Mostly lawyers and businesspeople Mostly lawyers and businesspeople Nearly all have bachelor’s degrees, many have master’s or Ph.D’s Nearly all have bachelor’s degrees, many have master’s or Ph.D’s Pre-dominantly Protestant and Catholic Pre-dominantly Protestant and Catholic

ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS Bicameral Bicameral House of Representatives House of Representatives 435 members 435 members 2 year term 2 year term Every representative up for re-election Every representative up for re-election Elected in districts Elected in districts Tighter rules Tighter rules Rules committee sets terms of debate Rules committee sets terms of debate No filibuster/limited debate No filibuster/limited debate Original place for revenue (tax) bills Original place for revenue (tax) bills More powerful committee leaders More powerful committee leaders “Lower House” “Lower House” Less media coverage and prestige Less media coverage and prestige

ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS Bicameral Bicameral Senate Senate 100 members 100 members Six year term Six year term Elected by state Elected by state 1/3 rd of seats re-elected every two years 1/3 rd of seats re-elected every two years Ratifies treaties Ratifies treaties Approves presidential appointments Approves presidential appointments Equal distribution of power Equal distribution of power “Upper” House “Upper” House More media coverage and prestige More media coverage and prestige Looser rules Looser rules Whole body sets terms of debate Whole body sets terms of debate Extended debate/filibuster allowed Extended debate/filibuster allowed

ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS Congressional districts Congressional districts Divided by state legislatures Divided by state legislatures “Gerrymandering” “Gerrymandering” Arranging boundaries to constitute an unfair advantage for a particular political party Arranging boundaries to constitute an unfair advantage for a particular political party Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) Reapportionment every 10 years with census Reapportionment every 10 years with census Gerrymandering unconstitutional Gerrymandering unconstitutional “Cracking” “Cracking” Dispersing the opposition party’s voters across multiple districts so as to dilute their voting power in any one district Dispersing the opposition party’s voters across multiple districts so as to dilute their voting power in any one district “Packing” “Packing” Moving a significant number of voters into a district in order to minimize their collective electoral strength in other districts Moving a significant number of voters into a district in order to minimize their collective electoral strength in other districts