1. Chapter 5 : Lesson 2 The House of Representatives

2. Essential Question:
Who makes up the House Leadership?

3. Congressional leadership is organized strictly by political party.

4. So where do we start? Majority Party Minority Party
Political party that holds the most seats in each house.
As of 2018, this is the Republicans.
Minority Party
Political party that holds fewer seats in each house.
As of 2018, this is the Democrats

5. Constituent: a person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent

6. Caucus: a private meeting of a party leaders to choose candidates for office

7. Why is it important to be in the majority?
Presiding officers and committee chairs always come from the majority party!
It makes it easier to pass laws!

8. House of Representative Leadership
The House operates under stronger leadership than the Senate
Why?
It has 4 times as many members!
Must be strict to keep them in line!
Who is the most powerful?
Speaker of the House

9. Who and what is the Speaker of the House?
Paul Ryan
Republican
Congressman from Wisconsin
What does he do?
Governs the debate in the House of Reps.
Is the public face of the House of Reps.
Is 3rd in line if POTUS dies!

10. Who is below the Speaker of the House?
Each political party has their own floor leader
Majority party floor leader
aka “Majority Leader”
Serves as an assistant to the Speaker of the House.
Minority Party floor leader
aka “Minority Leader”
Serves as chief voice of minority party

11. Who is the Majority Leader today?

12. House Majority Leader Second in command to Speaker
Responsible for day-to-day management
Responsible for building majority party consensus
elected by members of majority party
Rep. Kevin McCarthy
R, California

13. Who is the minority leader?
Nancy Pelosi
Democrat
California’s 8th Congressional District
Been in Congress since 1989

14. House Minority Leader
Elected by members of the minority party to serve as their spokesperson
Criticizes the program of the majority party
Often tries block majority bills from passing
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
D, California

15. Who works for the majority and minority leaders?
The Whips!!
Work feverishly to keep their political parties in line!
They demand their members to vote according to the political parties beliefs!
Majority whip
Works for the majority party
Minority whip
Works for the minority party

16. Who are the Whips? Majority Whip Minority Whip Steny Hoyer
Steve Scalise (R)Republican
Minority Whip
Steny Hoyer
Democrat from Maryland

17. Concurrent Jurisdiction: authority shared by two or more committees

18. Majority & Minority Whips
Term “whip” comes from British hunting lore: the whip keeps the foxhounds in line
Elected by party members
Assist the floor leaders to keep track of party members and lobby (influence) them for votes
Serve as leaders in their absence
Rep. Steve Scalise
R, Louisiana
Rep. Steny Hoyer
D, Maryland
Sen. Richard Durbin
D, Illinois
Sen. Jon Cornyn
R, Texas

19. Easy Way to Think of It House of Reps Speaker of the House
Floor Leaders
Majority
Minority
Whips

20. Review Question:
Chapter 5 : Lesson 2
Read pages and answer Review Questions on page 140. Hand in Google Class Room.