1. Congressional Apportionment

2. Reapportionment & Redistricting
Census every 10 years-count population
Constitutional requirement
House of Representatives Redistricting
Allocation of seats in the House in proportion to the population of the U.S.
Redistricting
the redrawing of Congressional district boundary lines within the state by the state legislatures
Supreme Court ruled that districts must be equal in populations- “one person, one vote”

3. Gerrymandering
Deliberately drawing boundary lines to advantage one group over another
for obtaining a partisan or factional advantage
Goal is to shape the voting district in such a way as to maximize their party’s chances of winning state and national contests.

4. Minority-Majority Districts
The federal government encouraged a type of gerrymandering that made possible the election of a minority representative from a minority-majority district.
Supreme Court ruled this unconstitutional as violating the “one person-one vote” precedent
2001 the Court did uphold this practice in North Carolina’s 19th because of insufficient evidence of gerrymandering.

5. Perks and Privileges of Congress
Franking privilege- signature for free mailing to constituents
Permanent professional staff
For legislation and casework
Privileges and immunities under the law-free from arrest when going to and from legislative session
Speech or debate clause

6. Congressional Caucuses
Informal groups that allow members with the same interest to get together and even advance legislation often times without regard to party
Examples-Democratic and Republican caucus, Potato growers, tobacco growers, Black, women, etc

7. Committee Structure Standing Committee House and Senate
Permanent subject matter committee
Examples- Veterans, Armed forces, Foreign relations, banking, agriculture, commerce and transportation
Handle most of the legislative mark-up and changes in proposed legislation (bills)

8. Select Committee
Committee put together from one or both houses of Congress to investigate some action or wrongdoing
Examples- Watergate, Whitewater, baseball steroid use, Wall St. economic crisis, etc
Not a permanent committee

9. Joint Committee
Committee on a subject so crucial that from the very beginning of the legislation the House and Senate will work together for passage of the bill.
Example- Budget, emergency bail-out bill, tax bills

10. Conference Committee
All legislation must pass both the House and Senate in the exact same form.
When both the House and Senate pass similar legislation, the conference committee will get together to create a bill with identical language and intent.
It is made up of both House and Senate members
When they finalize the bill both the House and Senate must vote on the Conference committee revised legislation (bill) before it goes to the president.

11. Committees

12. House Leadership Speaker of the House
Presides over meetings of the House
Appoints members of joint committees and conference committees
Schedules legislation for floor action
Decides points of order and interpreting the rules with the advise of the House parliamentarian.
Refers bills and resolutions to the appropriate standing committees of the House

13. Leaders and Whips
Majority/Minority leaders are chosen by their parties
Recognized first in debate on the floor
Mobilize party to support legislation proposed by the party members
Whips-
maintain communications within the party
“round up” the party members and enlist their support