1. HOW IS CONGRESS ORGANIZED? BY: ALEXIS, EMMA, NATALIE, JARED

2. PARTY LEADERSHIP: - Those whose party put them in charge - Power is widely dispersed - Leaders have to appeal broadly

3. SENATE LEADERSHIP Vice President is the President of the Senate, but basically does nothing. Senate Majority Leader  Has the real power in the Senate  Majority whip Senate Minoriy leader -Minority whip

4. HOUSE LEADERSHIP - Speaker of the house is in charge  Appoints Legislative Leaders  Decide what bills go to what committee -Majority Leader -Rounds up votes for the majority party -Whips: -Help majority leader get votes -Minority Leader -Basically the same as majority leader, but for the minority party. -Minority Whip

5. Congress is complex, bicameral, and decentralized

6. COMMITTEES -Standing committee- in both houses, permanent -Joint- people from both houses are in one committee, usually deals with taxes -Conference- revises bill when the two houses pass different versions of the same bill -Select- temporary, usually investigates scandals, ex- Watergate -House Rules Committee- reviews bills before they get to the house floor -House Ways and Means Committee- tax-wrting

7. SUPPORT STAFF -personal staff – do casework, communicate the members’ views to voters, answer mail, help constituents solve problems - committee staff – organize hearings, research legislative options, draft committee reports on bills, write legislation, keep tabs on activities of the executive branch