1. AP U.S. Government & Politics Mr. S. Kolesar 2016-2017
The Congress
AP U.S. Government & Politics
Mr. S. Kolesar

2. The Functions of Congress
Bicameral – Connecticut Compromise
House – originally closer to the people (elected by the people)
Senate – originally elected by the state legislatures. Changed – with the adoption of the 17th Amendment.

3. The Functions of Congress
The House
The Senate
435 members
2 year term
Population-based
Lower prestige/visibility
Lower House
Younger membership
100 members
6 year term
2 per state
Higher prestige/visibility
Upper House
Older membership

4. The 6 Main Functions Lawmaking Representation Service to constituents
Oversight
Public Education
Conflict Resolution

5. Lawmaking Introduce legislation Debate Discussion Compromise
Logrolling – you vote for my bill and I’ll vote for yours

7. Representation
Representational View – members want to get reelected and vote to please constituents. Big on hot issues, (civil rights, social welfare, gun control, abortion). Constituents often split on key issues.
Organizational View – Not essential to please constituents, as most do not know how their rep has voted, but important to please fellow members of Congress. Typically party-line voting, or through info from committees, etc…
Attitudinal View – So many conflicting views that they cancel each other out. Reps then vote on the basis of their own beliefs. Liberal v. Conservative, Democrats are more ideologically divided.

8. Representation
Trustee Model – Legislators should act as trustees of the broad interests of the entire society. They should vote against the narrow interests of their constituents if their conscience and their perception of national needs so dictate.
Delegate Model – Legislators (votes) should mirror the views of the majority of the constituents who elected them to power in the first place.

9. Service to Constituents
Casework – personal work for constituents by Congressmen
Personalization of Congress
Results in higher public opinion of their local elected officials

10. Oversight (Implied Power)
Oversight – the process by which Congress follows up on laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the ways Congress intended. Oversight includes authorization, appropriations, investigative, and legislative hearings by standing committees; specialized investigations by select committees; and reviews and studies by congressional support agencies and staff.

11. Public-Education Public hearings on issues
Oversight of the bureaucracy
Committee & floor debate on issues
C-Span
Internet

12. Conflict-Resolution
Congress as an access point for competing interests
Pluralistic decision-making helps resolve conflicts between:
Interest Groups
Competing racial, religious, economic, & ideological interests

13. Powers of Congress
Article I, Section 8 – Enumerated Powers, or those expressly given to Congress.
Examples include
To tax
To borrow $$$$
To regulate interstate commerce
Declare war

14. Powers of Congress Senate Powers
Advice & consent on appointments, ratifies treaties
Holds impeachment trial
Selects the VP in case of no electoral majority

15. Powers of Congress Senate Differences Fewer rules & restrictions
Debate extended
Filibuster – the use of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill.

16. Powers of Congress Senate Differences
Supermajority – a 3/5th’s majority or 60 members of the full Senate.
Cloture - The only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster. Under the cloture rule (Rule XXII), the Senate may limit consideration of a pending matter to 30 additional hours, but only by vote of three-fifths of the full Senate, normally 60 votes

17. Powers of Congress Senate Differences
Rule 22 – The name of the Senate rule that invokes cloture. It also stipulates that a final vote must take place within 100 hours of debate after cloture has been imposed

18. Powers of Congress House Powers Originates bills for raising revenue
Drafts & votes on articles of impeachment
Selects the POTUS in case of no electoral majority

19. Powers of Congress House Powers
Rules Committee – a standing committee that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the House
Extremely powerful

20. Congressional Apportionment
Reapportionment – the allocation of seats in the HOR to each state after each census.
Redistricting – the redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within each state
Malapportionment - Any system where one group has significantly more influence than another, such as when voting districts are unevenly spread out across a population

21. Congressional Apportionment
1964 Reynolds v. Sims “one man one vote”
The court ruled that districts for the United States House of Representatives and for the legislative districts of both houses of state legislatures had to contain roughly equal populations.

22. Gerrymandering
The drawing of district boundary lines to obtain partisan or factional advantage. It is drawn by the majority party to maximize electoral strength at the expense of the minority party.

23. Redistricting Minority-Majority Districts
Helped (possibly) increase the election of a minority representative.
Created Congressional districts where minority voters were the majority.
1995 Miller v. Johnson, ruled unconstitutional