1. Chapter 10 Notes
Section 1 and 2
Section 2, Part 2
Section 3 and 4

2. Jumpstart Assignment
Describe the political cartoon below.

3. Why bicameralism? What are the advantages to a bicameral government?
What are the disadvantages to a bicameral legislature?

4. House of Representatives
435 Members (a # which is set by Congress)
The original House of Representatives had only 65 members.
House members serve 2 year terms
Why 2 years?

5. House Apportionment Reps. are apportioned based on state pop.
They are reapportioned every 10 years based on the national census.
The Reapportionment Act of 1929 set the “permanent” size of the House at 435

7. Off-Year Elections
Off-year elections are those congressional elections held between presidential elections.

8. Today’s Plan
Jumpstart Assignment: Why do you suppose the President’s political party seems to do so poorly in off-year elections throughout most of America’s history?
Reading Minute
Notes: Section 2
Assignment:
Who Represents Me

9. Districts The House of Reps. has single member districts.
Under the single-member district arrangement, the voters in each district elect one of the State’s representatives.
The general-ticket system, no longer in use, provided that all of a State’s seats were filled at-large.

10. Gerrymandering
Districts are drawn to the advantage of the political party that controls the State’s legislature.
Wesberry v.
Sanders –
established
“one-person,
one-vote” districts

14. Qualifications 25 years old Citizen for 7 yrs.
Inhabitant of the state where he/she is elected
The realities of politics also require some informal qualifications, such as party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics, and political experience.

15. Today’s Plan
Jumpstart Assignment How should a member of Congress make a decision on a vote, based on views of the people, their own consciences, or based on their political parties view? Explain your answer.
Gerrymandering Activity
Notes: Ch. 10, Section 3 and 4
Comparing the House and Senate

16. The Senate 2 Senators per state (100 total)
Serve 6 year terms (1/3 of the Senate is up for re-election every 2 years)
Until the 17th Amendment (1913), Senators were elected by State Legislatures
The Senate is a continuous body, meaning that all of its seats are never up for election at the same time.

17. Senate Qualifications
30 years old
Citizen for 9 years
Inhabitant of the state where elected (though not for any specific period of time)

18. Job of Congress Members
Work in committee to screen proposed laws
Oversight Function – a way to check agencies of the Executive Branch
Represent the people (constituents)
Law Making
Serving their constituents

19. Voting Options
Trustees – believe that each question they face must be decided on its merit
Delegates – see themselves as agents of the people they represent
Partisans – lawmakers who see their allegiance to their political party as being the most important
Politicos – attempt to combine all three

20. Compensation House and Senate - $174,000 Pay is set by Congress
The franking privilege allows members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free
Office budget

21. Senate House
Qualifications (age, citizenship)
Terms
Pay
Number
Who they represent?