1. Congress

2. Constitutional Foundations
Bicameral legislature
Senate: Upper House
House: Lower House
Powers of Congress
Congressional Powers
Senate Powers
House Powers

3. Congressional Elections
Advantages of Incumbents:
Visibility and name recognition
Credit for service to constituents
Advantage in raising campaign funds
Safe districts and gerrymandering

4. The Incumbent Advantage

5. Legislative Districts
Reapportionment
Redistricting
Malapportionment
Gerrymandering

6. Racial Gerrymandering
NC Congressional District 12—1992 to 1997

7. Racial Gerrymandering
NC Congressional District 12—1998

8. Post 2010 Districts

9. What reform could look like:

11. Alternate for future: Single Transferable Vote

12. Who are the Members?
The job
Demographics of Congress

13. Organization of Congress
Leadership in the House
Speaker of the House
Majority/Minority Leaders
Whips
Leadership in the Senate
Vice President
President Pro Tempore
Majority/Minority Leaders and Whips

14. Organization of Congress
Committee System
Standing Committees
Select Committees
Conference Committees
Assignment to Committees

15. Organization of Congress
Caucuses
Congressional Staff
Staff Agencies

16. Organization of Congress
Special Procedures in the House
Rules Committee
Open/Closed Rule
Special Procedures in the Senate
Amendments
Filibusters

17. The Legislative Process
Introduction
Committee Action
Floor Action
Conference Committee
Presidential Action

18. Influences on Legislation
President
Party
Ideology
Constituents
Lobbyists and Interest Groups

19. Other Congressional Action
Oversight of Other Branches
Oversight of the Bureaucracy
Casework
Investigations

20. Congress and Democracy?
The Public Good
Earmarks and Pork
Reciprocity and Logrolling
Theories of Representation
Substantive representation
Descriptive representation

21. Congress and Democracy
Access to Legislators
Ethics rules
Campaign finance rules
Incumbent Advantage
Term limits?
Campaign finance reform?