1. Chapter 7 And Article I of the Constitution
Congress
Chapter 7
And Article I of the Constitution

2. This unit covers Qualifications Powers and checks Structure Leadership
How a bill becomes a law
Demographics
How members make decisions
more

3. Qualifications for office
House
25 years old
Citizen for at least 7 years
Senate
30 years old
Citizen for at least 9 years
Both: must be legal residents of their states

4. T7-2
Comprehensive: Table 7.2, Page 231; Brief: Table 6.1, Page 170
What are the key differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate? 4

5. Powers of Congress Congress makes laws Power of the purse: $$
Oversight
And MORE

6. Table 7.1- The Powers of Congress
Back

7. Checks on other branches
Congress can impeach the president
Congress confirms presidential appointments
Congress establishes size and structure of Supreme Court

8. Impeachment 1 House Judiciary Committee Votes to have hearings House
Back to Judiciary Committee
Has hearings
votes to have impeachment trial

9. Impeachment 2 House Votes to have trial. Senate
Impeachment trial here.
Chief Justice of Supreme Court presides.
2/3 majority required for conviction

10. Table 7.7- Impeachment
Back

11. Is it easier to pass a bill or defeat a bill?
9000 bills
10% make it

13. Filibuster and Cloture

14. T7-9
Comprehensive: Table 7.5, Page 241; Brief: Table 6.4, Page 178 14

15. Committee membership
Why do members want to get on committees (and specific committees)?
Interest
Personal
District’s or State’s
Access to pork or earmarks
Pad resume: good for campaigning
Chairs have agenda-setting power!

16. House Rules Committee Date the bill will come up for debate
Time allotted for discussion
What kinds of amendments can be made (or none)

17. Committees Size Chairs: How many? set in Senate
decided in House with each session (ave 31 members)
Chairs:
Majority Party members
Term limits of 6 years passed in the 1990s for both chambers
How many?
House average: 1.8 committees + 3 sub
Senate average: 3-4 committees + 7 sub

18. Structure and Leadership
What is a “divided government”?
Majority Party
Minority Party
Speaker of the House:
John Boehner
Voted on by all members

19. House Parties vote on Who is our Representative?
Majority and Minority Leaders: who are they?
Party whips
Who is our Representative?

20. Senate Vice president Senate Pro-Tempore http://www.senate.gov
Leadership:

21. Who are our Senators from Washington?

22. T7-7
Comprehensive: Figure 7.3, Page 236; Brief: Figure 6.3, Page 174
How are the House of Representatives and the Senate organized? Source: Adapted from Roger H. Davidson and Walter J. Oleszek, Congress and its Members, 10th ed. (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2006.) Updated by the authors. 22

23. Stats on Congress Party Make-up: 112th House: 193 D 242 R
112th Senate: 51 D 47 R 2 I
111th Senate: 58 D 40 R 2 I
110th Senate: 49 D 49 R 2 I
109th Senate: 44 D 55 R 1 I

25. How many of the 100 current Senators are women?
B. 17
C. 25
D. 44

26. How many in all of US History?
B. 54
C. 76
D. 112

27. Women
17 in the Senate + 72 in the House of Representatives, for a total of 89

28. How many African Americans are Senators now?
B. 6
C. 11
D. 15

29. How many in all of US History?
B. 6
C. 19
D. 35

30. George White Last African Am of Reconstruction era in Congress
Left House in 1901.
 "This, Mr. Chairman, is perhaps the negroes’ temporary farewell to the American Congress," White declared in his final months as a Representative, "but let me say, Phoenix-like he will rise up someday and come again.”
 Not another Af Am for 28 years.

31. How many Asian-Americans have been Senators?
How many Native Americans?
How many Latinos?

32. T7-4
Comprehensive: Figure 7.1, Page 233; Brief: Figure 6.1, Page 171
How many women and minorities serve in Congress? Source: Data compiled by the authors. 32

33. Female and Minority Members

34. How Members Make Decisions
Party
Constituents
Colleagues and Caucuses
Logrolling (vote trading)
Interest Groups, Lobbyists, and PACS
Staff and Support Agencies

35. 3 theories of representation
Trustee
Delegate
Politico

36. T7-11
Comprehensive: Analyzing Visuals, Page 255; Brief: Analyzing Visuals, Page 190 36

37. What are the advantages of incumbency?
Comprehensive: Table 7.4, Page 234; Brief: Table 6.3, Page 172
What are the advantages of incumbency? 37

38. T7-6
Comprehensive: Figure 7.2, Page 235; Brief: Figure 6.2, Page 173
What is gerrymandering? Sources: David Van Biema, “Snakes or Ladders?” Time (July 12, 1993) © 1993, Time Inc. Reprinted by permission. Illinois General Assembly. 38

39. What are the congressional support agencies?
Comprehensive: Table 7.6, Page 258
What are the congressional support agencies? 39

40. Table 7.4- A Day in the Life of a Member

41. What is a typical day like for a member of Congress?
Comprehensive: Table 7.3, Page 232; Brief: Table 6.2, Page 171
What is a typical day like for a member of Congress? 41

42. Congress Party stats links