2. Congress
Article One of the United States Constitution (read it! Learn about it!)
All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Hence – exclusive legislative powers
Power to investigate – also legislative, although it has executive aspects

3. Capitol Hill history
Ken Burns, The Congress, 1988.

4. Bicameral Parliament House of Representatives (currently 435 members)
Districts apportioned by population
United States Senate (100 senators)
Election process
Direct election / gubernatorial appointment
Mel Carnahan, Jean Carnahan, 2000
Qualifications:
HoR: 25 years old, 7 years citizenship, resident of the state
Senate: 30 years old, 9 years citizeship, resident of the state
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate

5. From bills to law Before a bill becomes law
it must be presented to the President
ten days (excluding Sundays) to act upon it. If the President signs the bill, it becomes law.
If he disapproves of the bill, he must return it to the House in which it originated together with his objections.
The bill does not then become law unless both Houses, by two-thirds votes, override the veto.
If the President neither signs nor returns the bill within the ten-day limit, the bill becomes law, unless the Congress has adjourned in the meantime, thereby preventing the President from returning the bill to the House in which it originated.
In the latter case, the President, by taking no action on the bill towards the end of a session, exercises a "pocket veto", which Congress may not override. In the former case, where the President allows a bill to become law unsigned, there is no common name for the practice, but recent scholarship has termed it a "default enactment.
the Pocket Veto Case (1929): he Supreme Court held that "the determinative question in reference to an 'adjournment' is not whether it is a final adjournment of Congress or an interim adjournment, such as an adjournment of the first session, but whether it is one that 'prevents' the President from returning the bill to the House in which it originated within the time allowed." Since neither House of Congress was in session, the President could not return the bill to one of them, thereby permitting the use of the pocket veto.
Wright v. United States (1938): adjournments of one House only did not constitute an adjournment of Congress required for a pocket veto. In such cases, the Secretary or Clerk of the House in question was ruled competent to receive the bill.

6. Powers of Congress Ennumerated powers
To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common defence[note 1] and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries

7. Congressional Powers, continued
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;—And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

8. Congressional Districts
The foundation of the whole political process
JFK
gerrymandering

9. Gerrymandering

14. The compromisers Historical compromises Missouri Compromise
Compromise of 1850
Compromise of 1877
All these show political compromise is a strange beast...

15. Filibuster History of the Filibuster
Senator Bernie Sander's Filibuster E

16. Further study
Be sure to know and understand the workings of the two chambers, read on the congressional institutions, its traditions and functions. Learn how the political process of the congress is organized, learn about the leaders of the parties, whips, etc.
Learn about major congressional crises in American history.

17. For the next meeting
I need names of TWO students who are going to prepare presentations on TWO major rulings of the Supreme Court. Present the context of the case, the argumentation used in the ruling, and discuss its significance.
Learn about the Supreme Court. Learn about the current make up of the Court. Learn about the history if this institution. Learn about its powers, functions, and responsibilities. Prepare for a discussion about the concept of the living constitution and the position of the Supreme Court in the American political system.