1. [ 4.1 ] National Legislature Overview

2. Congress: The Job
One leading commentary on American politics describes Congress and the job of a member of Congress this way:
Congress has a split personality. On the one hand, it is a lawmaking institution and makes policy for the entire nation. In this capacity, all the members are expected to set aside their personal ambitions and perhaps even the concerns of their constituencies. Yet Congress is also a representative assembly, made up of 535 elected officials who serve as links between their constituents and the National Government. The dual roles of making laws and responding to constituents’ demands forces members to balance national concerns against the specific interests of their States or districts.
—James M. Burns, et al., Government by the People

3. A Congressman’s Balancing Act
Delegate
Trustee
Floor vote on the Energy Bill!
How should I vote? My constituents first or my country???

4. Types of Representation
Party Influence: Party leaders cannot force party members to vote a particular way, but many do vote along party lines.
Constituency versus Ideology
Prime determinant of member’s vote on most issues is ideology
On most issues that are not salient, legislators may ignore constituency opinion.
But on controversial issues, members are wise to heed constituent opinion.

5. Types of Representation
Lobbyists and Interest Groups
There are 35,000 registered lobbyists trying to influence Congress—the bigger the issue, the more lobbyists will be working on it.
Lobbyists try to influence legislators’ votes.

7. How Members Make Decisions
Interest Groups
Colleagues
Caucuses
Representative
Party &
President
Constituents
Staff
PACs

8. Congress: The Job
House Speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama shake hands on the floor of the House. The Framers envisioned Congress as a body “whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country.”

9. Congress: The Job
Members of both houses of Congress have many roles to play. Analyze ChartsWhy are the legislative and agent of constituent roles the most important?

13. Terms and Sessions of Congress: every 2 years, meet for 2years
The 1st Congress met in Philadelphia from March of 1789 to March of 1791, passing the Bill of Rights during their tenure. The U.S. Capitol building was not occupied until 1800.

14. Terms and Sessions of Congress
The Senate is divided into three equal classes so that only a third of the Senate seats may change hands in an election. Analyze Charts How does the Senate arrangement differ from the House?

15. Congressional Compensation
Members of Congress are required by the Constitution to set their own salaries, as they did in January of Analyze Political Cartoons What point is the cartoon making?

16. Congressional Compensation
This chart shows the salaries of members of Congress from a different perspective. Analyze Charts How do Congress’ salaries compare to the salaries of C.E.O.s and the average American?

17. Quiz: The Role of Congress in a Democracy
How did the government the Framers designed focus on national, rather than individual, interests?
A. It included a broad system of checks and balances on the legislature's powers.
B. It included a strong system of individual decision-making powers for the legislature.
C. It included a system that preserved the average citizen's focus on individual interests.
D. It included a system that was based on a body chosen directly by the people.

18. Quiz: Congress: The Job
A representative must vote on a bill that will benefit her State, but also results in greater deficit spending. Most of her constituents support the bill. Under what circumstances do you think she might choose to vote as a partisan or a trustee, rather than a delegate, on this bill?
A. if her constituents believe that the benefits from the bill will outweigh the costs
B. if her constituents believe that she should vote according to their wishes
C. if she believes the most important goal is a balanced budget
D. if she believes the most important goal is to conform to her constituents' wishes

19. Quiz: Terms and Sessions of Congress
What option does the Constitution give the President if Congress adjourns without an approved budget?
A. The President can prorogue a session of Congress, based on Article II, Section 3.
B. The President can meet with party leaders, based on Article I, Section 2, Clause 1.
C. The President can adjourn Congress, based on Article 1, Section 5, Clause 4.
D. The President can call a special session, based on Article II, Section 3.

20. Quiz: Congressional Compensation
The Constitution specifies that Congress has the power to fix its own pay. Why was it important to modify this authority with the 27th Amendment?
A. so that changes could be put to public vote
B. so that there would be a system of checks and balances
C. so that all Congressmen had a chance to vote
D. so that the President could veto any raises

21. [ 4.2 ] The Two Houses

22. Important Differences
House
435 members
2 year term
At least 25 years old
7 year citizen
Strict debate rules
Residency
Senate
100 members
6 year term (staggered)
At least 30 years old
9 year citizen
Loose debate rules
Residency
Powell v McCormack- power of congress to refuse to seat an elected representative

23. Informal Qualifications
Vote-Getting Abilities
Gender
Age
Party identification
Ethnic characteristics
Political experience

24. New York Public Library
A cartoon from Puck in 1890 expressed popular resentment over the “Millionaires Club,” as the Senate had become known.
Copyright © 2013 Cengage

25. The House
The size of the House of Representatives has changed dramatically over time. For example, the 1st Congress had 65 members, while the 112th Congress had 435 members.

26. Reapportionment Act of 1929 Set the permanent size of the house
Reapportionment of Congress
Reapportionment Act of 1929
Set the permanent size of the house
Census Bureau will change apportionment
President sends it to Congress who must approve it
Congressional Districts- single member

27. Representation Malapportionment – unequal population in districts
Wesberry v. Sanders (1963) – found unequal district pop. unconstitutional – 14th amend
Gerrymandering – district boundaries are redrawn in strange ways to make it easy for candidate of one party to win
Easley v. Cromartie (2001) – redistricting for political ideology was constitutional, led to increase in minority reps

28. Reapportionment of Congress
The 2010 census determined how the 435 seats in the House were reapportioned among the States. Analyze Maps What regions gained or lost population?

29. Reapportionment of Congress
The graph shows how House seats were reapportioned after each census. Analyze Graphs How did the number of seats change for each of the four States between 1970 and 2010?

30. Reapportionment of Congress
Congressional districts are redrawn by each State following each census, and can take unusual shapes. Analyze Maps Why might District 2 be so much smaller than the other districts?

31. Setting the Date- first Tuesday following the first Monday in November
House Elections
Setting the Date- first Tuesday following the first Monday in November
Off-Year Elections- not a Presidential election year

32. House Elections
People line up to vote in Gerrymandering affects the political influence of a group of people by putting them in a single district, or by splitting them among several districts.

33. House Elections
The President’s party typically loses congressional seats in off-year elections. Analyze Charts What are advantages and disadvantages of having the President help keep congressional seats?

34. Qualifications for Office in the House
At age 29, Florida Congressman Patrick Murphy was the youngest member of the 113th Congress.

35. The Senate－Size, Election, and Terms
Senators Harry Reid (left) and John McCain (right) meet with Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia. The Senate is often called 'the world's most exclusive club.'

36. The Senate－Size, Election, and Terms
The number of seats in the House grew rapidly until The number of seats in the Senate grew more slowly and then leveled off. Analyze Graphs What are the reasons for these trends?

37. Qualifications for Office in the Senate
Some argue that political careers are still more difficult for women. Former Senator Clinton has said cracking 'glass ceilings' is 'the great unfinished business of the 21st century.'

38. Quiz: The House
Why did the Constitution provide that the total number of seats in the House of Representatives should be apportioned among the States based on population, rather than being set at a fixed number?
A. so that larger States are able to make decisions on important issues
B. in order to provide for fair representation for all citizens
C. because establishing a fixed number was less accurate
D. so that a large group of representatives are able to serve

39. Quiz: House Elections
The author has stated that 'far more often than not, the party that holds the presidency loses seats in the off-year elections.' What can you infer is the cause of this loss?
A. The opposition party might obtain votes from citizens dissatisfied with the current administration.
B. The party in power might not be interested in campaigning so soon after a big election.
C. The party in power might be overly confident about their support from voters.
D. The opposition party might have more money to spend on an impressive campaign.

40. Quiz: The Senate－Size, Election, and Terms
Representative Jones, acting as a delegate, votes for a spending bill favored by his constituents, although he does not support the bill. Senator Miller votes against it as a partisan, although his constituents favor the bill. What effect might each Congressman's term length have had on his voting decision?
A. Term length makes Senator Miller less willing to cast an unpopular vote.
B. Term length makes Representative Jones feel pressured to cast a popular vote.
C. Term length makes Senator Miller unwilling to cast an unpopular vote.
D. Term length makes Representative Jones unconcerned about casting an unpopular vote.

41. Quiz: Qualifications for Office in the Senate
What did the Constitution intend when it provided procedures for the Senate to judge the conduct of its members?
A. that senators who refused to follow their party's recommendations could be eliminated
B. that voters' dissatisfaction with their representative could be addressed in a timely way
C. that a high standard of ethical behavior would be maintained by the nation's lawmakers
D. that regular attendance to all important Senate responsibilities and obligations would be ensured