Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Chapter Eleven congress.

Published byBranislav Sokol Modified over 6 years ago

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Chapter Eleven congress."— Presentation transcript:

1 Chapter Eleven congress

2 The Functions of Congress
Lawmaking Representation Service to constituents Oversight Public education Conflict-resolution State representative Aaron Schock (R.-Ill), left, greets a voter at a diner in Peoria, Illinois, after winning the Republican primary race for the congressional nomination. Schock, who was only 26 at the time, became the youngest member of Congress when he won his seat in the November 2008 election. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

3 The Functions of Congress
Representation function: Often at variance with lawmaking function Trustee view of representation- Reps should act as trustees of the broad interests of society even if it means voting against their constituents sometimes. Instructed-delegate view of representation- agent of the constituents and votes according to their views regardless of their own personal beliefs. Politico style (combination)

4 The Functions of Congress
Service to constituents: Casework and “hillstyle”- personal work for constituents by Congress Ombudsperson role- a person who hears and investigates complaints by private individuals against public officials or agencies. Oversight function: When Congress follows up on a law it has enacted to ensure it is being enforced and administered in the way Congress intended. Committee hearings and investigations Budgeting Nomination review Special commissions

5 The Functions of Congress
Public-education function: occurs whenever Congress does the following: Public hearings Bureaucracy oversight Debate on major issues By doing this Congress presents a range of viewpoints on pressing national issues and topics. Conflict-resolution function: Resolves societal conflicts Interest groups seek help to resolve grievances

6 The Powers of Congress Enumerated Powers (written in the Constitution, first 17 clauses of Article 1, sec 8) Most important are below but you should be familiar with them all. Right to collect taxes and spend Regulate commerce Power to declare war Necessary and Proper Clause (implied powers) Article 1, sec 8 Checks on Congress Presidential veto Supreme Court Elections House vs. Senate bills

7 Checks on Congress Congress is undoubtedly the most powerful branch of the government, with all it’s enumerated powers and it’s ability to check a presidential veto. One check is the diversity of Congress itself, it is rare there is enough similarity to override a presidential veto. Another check is the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review. Additionally members of the House face reelection every 2 years. The fact that it is bicameral is a check as well.

8 House-Senate Differences
Size and rules House = 435 representatives; more formal rules Senate = 100 senators; looser procedures Debate and filibustering Senate has filibuster and cloture Prestige Senators generally enjoy more recognition and prestige

9 Differences between the House and the Senate
Table 11-1

10 Congresspersons and the Citizenry: A Comparison
Compared to average Americans, members of Congress are: Older Disproportionately white and male High-status occupations Wealthy But gender and ethnic diversity increasing

11 Characteristics of the 112th Congress, 2011-2013
Table 11-2 (Sources: E. Eric Petersen, “Representatives and Senators: Trends in Member Characteristics Since 1945,” Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service, Tom Shine, “47% of Congress Members Millionaires–a Status Shared by Only 19% of Americans,” ABC News, November 16, 2011.)

12 Congressional Elections
Elections decentralized: conducted by state governments according to federal guidelines One-third of seats chosen every two years Territories/Washington DC – nonvoting delegates Candidates May be self-selected or recruited by party Average cost $1.4 million for House, $9.7 million for Senate Presidential coattails (if president popular)

13 Midterm Gains and Losses by the Party of the President, 1942-2010
Table 11-3

14 The Power of Incumbency
Table 11-4 (Sources: Norman Ornstein, Thomas E. Mann, and Michael J. Malbin, Vital Statistics on Congress, (Washington, DC: The AEI Press, 2002) and author’s update.

15 Congressional Apportionment
Reapportionment : allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census Redistricting: redrawing of boundaries of districts within each state Gerrymandering

16 The Original Gerrymander
Figure 11-1 (AP Photo/APTN) Source: Congressional Quarterly’s Guide to Congress, 3rd ed. (Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1982), p. 695

17 Congressional Apportionment
Redistricting after 2010 Census Controlled mostly by Republicans Packing and cracking Nonpartisan redistricting Predominantly by county More competitive “Minority-majority” districts Constitutional challenges

18 The First Congressional District of Ohio
Figure 11-2: Effective beginning with the Election in 2012 for the 113th U.S. Congress.

19 Congressional Districts of Iowa
Figure 11-3: Effective beginning with the Election in 2012 for the 113th U.S. Congress. (Prepared by the Iowa Legislative Services Agency)

20 The Fourth Congressional District of Illinois
Figure 11-4: The 4th district is outlined in blue. It stretches from the near north side of Chicago out to the western suburbs and then turns east through the south side of Chicago. Why is the district drawn this way? The district includes a majority of Hispanic Americans and meets the criteria for a majority minority district. However, the northern portion contains many Puerto Rican Americans while many Mexican Americans live in the southern portion. The western link is a super highway where no one resides. The question is whether the people in this district have much in common other than Hispanic heritage. (Source:

21 Perks and Privileges Permanent professional staffs
Privileges and immunities Caucuses: another source of support Party caucuses most important Other examples: Democratic Study Group Rust Belt Caucus Congressional Women’s Caucus

22 The Committee Structure
Power of committees “Little legislatures” Chairpersons have significant authority Schedule hearings and formal action on bill Determine which committees act on legislation Discharge petitions Representative Nydia M. Velazquez, D., NY, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, praises the achievements of Supreme court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina member of the Court. (AP Photo J. Scott Applewhite) Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning

23 The Committee Structure
Types of committees Standing Committees Select Committees Joint Committees Conference Committees House Rules Committee Selection of committee members Appointed Seniority system (informal process)

24 Standing Committees of the 112th Congress, 2011-2013
Table 11-5

25 The Formal Leadership House Leadership Senate Leadership The Speaker
Majority Leader Minority Leader Whips Senate Leadership Vice President President pro tempore Majority Leader Minority Leader Whips Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning

26 Leadership in the Senate
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, left, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, arrive at a meeting with the president on health care reform. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

27 How Members of Congress Decide
Party membership is major determinant of how members vote, but not the only factor Conservative coalition “Crossing over” Logrolling, earmarks, and “pork”

28 How Members of Congress Decide
How a bill becomes law Must pass through both houses of Congress “Money bills” must start in the House Similar steps in both chambers Study, discussion, hearings, markup Scheduling and debate Conference committees Joint resolutions

29 How a Bill Becomes Law Figure 11-5
This illustration shows the most typical way in which proposed legislation is enacted into law. Most legislation begins as similar bills introduced into the House and the Senate. The process is illustrated here with two hypothetical bills, House bill No. 100 (HR 100) and Senate bill No. 200 (S 200) The path of HR 100 is shown on the left, and that of S 200, on the right. (© shutterstock.com)

30 How Much Will the Government Spend?
Preparing the budget Fiscal year cycle (October 1– September 30) Office of Management and Budget Congress faces the budget Authorization Appropriation Budget resolutions

31 The Budget Cycle Figure 11-6

Download ppt "Chapter Eleven congress."

Similar presentations

Chapter Twelve: Congress.

Chapter Twelve: Congress.
Whose house? “House” work Commit- tees What they do Leaders & groups ElectionMis-cell- any 100 200 200 300 400 500 AP Government Jeopardy – Congress.

Whose house? “House” work Commit- tees What they do Leaders & groups ElectionMis-cell- any AP Government Jeopardy – Congress.
Congress Section 1. Why Was Congress Created? The founding fathers believed that the bulk of governmental power should be in the hands of the legislature.

Congress Section 1. Why Was Congress Created? The founding fathers believed that the bulk of governmental power should be in the hands of the legislature.
Congress: The People’s Branch

Congress: The People’s Branch
Unit 5 Review. Vocabulary Majority Leader - Chief spokesperson for the majority party. Whips - Party official whose primary purpose is to ensure party.

Unit 5 Review. Vocabulary Majority Leader - Chief spokesperson for the majority party. Whips - Party official whose primary purpose is to ensure party.
Congress Chapter 9. Why was Congress Created? framers experienced the weakness of the congress under the Articles of Confederation “ The Great Compromise.

Congress Chapter 9. Why was Congress Created? framers experienced the weakness of the congress under the Articles of Confederation “ The Great Compromise.
Why Was Congress Created? Fear that power in the hands of a single individual would be abused and the people would suffer. The national legislative power.

Why Was Congress Created? Fear that power in the hands of a single individual would be abused and the people would suffer. The national legislative power.
American Government and Politics Today

American Government and Politics Today
Chapter 9 Congress.

Chapter 9 Congress.
Chapter 9 Congress Congress Origins, Structure, and Membership Bicameral Differences Rules of Lawmaking: How a Bill Becomes a Law Budgeting and Oversight.

Chapter 9 Congress Congress Origins, Structure, and Membership Bicameral Differences Rules of Lawmaking: How a Bill Becomes a Law Budgeting and Oversight.
The Legislative Branch: Congress. The Evolution of Congress Intent of Framers Congress generally dominant over the presidency for more than 140 years.

The Legislative Branch: Congress. The Evolution of Congress Intent of Framers Congress generally dominant over the presidency for more than 140 years.
“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.” - Mark Twain, a Biography.

“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.” - Mark Twain, a Biography.
To Accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, and Texas Editions American Government: Roots and Reform, 10th edition Karen O’Connor and Larry J. Sabato  Pearson.

To Accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, and Texas Editions American Government: Roots and Reform, 10th edition Karen O’Connor and Larry J. Sabato  Pearson.
The Constitution and the Legislative Branch of Government Article I creates a bicameral legislative branch of government. The upper house is called the.

The Constitution and the Legislative Branch of Government Article I creates a bicameral legislative branch of government. The upper house is called the.
Congress Lesson Objective: To understand the powers and responsibilities of the Legislative Branch Essential Questions: What is the purpose of the two.

Congress Lesson Objective: To understand the powers and responsibilities of the Legislative Branch Essential Questions: What is the purpose of the two.
December 4, 2014 Objectives: To develop a better understanding of Congress Question: How many representatives to the House does Washington have?

December 4, 2014 Objectives: To develop a better understanding of Congress Question: How many representatives to the House does Washington have?
Political Science American Government and Politics Chapter 10 The Congress.

Political Science American Government and Politics Chapter 10 The Congress.
CONGRESS ARTICLE I CONGRESS “to meet” VS. PARLIAMENT “to speak”

CONGRESS ARTICLE I CONGRESS “to meet” VS. PARLIAMENT “to speak”
ALL ABOUT CONGRESS THE BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE Unit 5 Review for AP Government By: Maddy Collins and Deanna Pierce.

ALL ABOUT CONGRESS THE BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE Unit 5 Review for AP Government By: Maddy Collins and Deanna Pierce.
Congress. Congress and the Constitution Bicameral – Great Compromise – Pluralism Differences between House and Senate – Qualifications and Terms – Filibuster.

Congress. Congress and the Constitution Bicameral – Great Compromise – Pluralism Differences between House and Senate – Qualifications and Terms – Filibuster.

Similar presentations

Ads by Google