LegislativeBranchNotesRegularGovernment.pptx

Bell Assignment

• Answer the following

questions without

looking at your notes. 

1. What are the terms of a member of the Senate? House?

2. Why is the Senate known as the “upper house”?

3. What checks does the legislative branch have on the executive

Surfing the Net…

• _{Go to Senate.gov and find the following information:}

– _{List each of the leadership positions held in the Senate}

and include the names of each person that holds the position.

– _{Browse around the site and list three current happenings}

in the Senate.

• _{Go to House.gov and find the following information:}

– _{List each of the leadership positions held in the Senate}

and include the names of each person that holds the position.

– _{Browse around the site and list three current happenings}

Bell Assignment

•

If you could create

the perfect

Create a

Congressperson

• _{In teams of 3-4 brainstorm the qualities that make an}

ideal Congressman/woman. You must include at least 6 of these:

– _Age – Gender – _Income

– _{Religious affiliations} – _{Family lifestyle}

– _{Key beliefs on political, social and foreign issues} – _{Groups that support them}

– _{Physical appearance} – _{Ethnicity or race}

• _{Use butcher paper to actually draw your senator and}

place all of these key traits around them.

Let’s Read…

•

Read Chapter 10

Sections 2 & 3

– _{Section 2 – House: Create a} Tree Map that includes the following branches; Size and Terms, Reapportionment,

Congressional Elections,

Powers of Congress As we go

Purpose

“Make the

Laws”

Two Houses

(Bicameral)

•

House – 435

members (based on

population)

•

Senate – 100

Majority Party:

The party that has the most members in Congress

Minority Party:

The party that has the least members in Congress

Congressional Salaries

Congress sets its own salary (very controversial)

$162,000/year

Speaker of the House and Vice President receive

$208,100/year

President pro tempore, majority and minority leaders -

$180,100/year

Pension – 50,000-150,000/year

Privileges and Perks

Just to name a

few…

can’t be sued for anything they say in Congress

_{free from arrest except in cases}

of treason, felony, breach of peace

free office and staffing

workout facilities

limousines for senior members

medical care/Insurance

postage

_{research Help}

Service Records

Oldest serving member of Congress:

•

Strom Thurmond age - 100

Longest serving member:

•

Robert Byrd 51 years

Youngest:

Committees

• _{Divides the Workload –}

most work is done in committees

• _{Committee Chairperson–} Decides bills to discuss,

when to meet

• _{Committee Chair is}

chosen by majority party

• _{Seniority Rule – Unwritten} custom of appointing oldest serving member to

important positions

• _{Facts of Congress - Committee}

Discuss with your

“Libertarian”

partner the

checks the

legislative branch

has on the

executive branch.

Discuss with your

“Libertarian”

partner the

checks the

legislative branch

has on the

executive branch.

Check your answers:

• Approve Treaties

• Approve Appointments

• Override of Veto 2/3rd Vote

Checks on Judicial

Branch:

•

Impeaches judges

•

approves

appointments of

judges

Checks on Judicial

Branch:

•

Impeaches judges

•

approves

appointments of

judges

Discuss with your

“Tea Party”

partner the

checks the

legislative branch

has on the judicial

branch.

Discuss with your

“Tea Party”

partner the

checks the

Legislative

Powers of

Congress

Taxation

Lawmaking

Declare

War

Regulate

Commerce

Borrow, Spend,

And Coin

Money

Create

Courts

Make all laws

"necessary and proper" to carrying out

the enumerated powers

Establish Post

Offices

The Powers of Congress

• _{Expressed Powers: Those}

delegated powers of the

National Government which are given to it literally by

the Constitution.

• Implied Powers: Those

delegated powers of the National Government

• _{Money/Budgets: Borrow,} appropriate or budget money • There is no limit on how much

the federal government can borrow.

Debt Clock

•

A charge levied by

government on persons or

property to raise money to

meet public needs.

•

Power to raise and

Power to acquire,

manage and

dispose of various

federal territories.

Power to acquire,

manage and

Power to

create all the

federal courts

below the

•

Impeachment:

•

House impeaches or

brings up the charges

•

Senate acts as a jury

•

Appointments:

Confirm/approve

• _{Laws – enact (pass) federal}

• Only a member of the House or Senate may introduce a bill but anyone can write a bill.

Bell Assignment

•

What are three

things you

•

I'm Just A Bill

•

Parody - I'm Just

Step 1 – House

•

Bill Introduced:

– _{Representatives submit} a proposal for a new

law.

Step 2 – House

•

Assigned to

Committee

:

Step 3 – House

•

Subcommittee

:

Step 4 – House

Full Commit

tee:

•

Two Options:

1. May lay it aside (table it) 2. Release it – (report it

out) with a

Step 5 – House

•

Rules Committee

:

– _{House ONLY}

– _{Makes rules for}

debating the bill in the House

• _{When it will be debated} • _{How long it will be}

Step 6 – House

•

Floor Action:

– _{Full House debates the} bill

– _{May add amendments} – _{Simple majority to pass}

Conference Committee

• _{When a different version of}

a bill is passed in the Senate and House, the Conference Committee hammers out the differences.

• _{They create a compromise}

bill.

• _{This bill must be passed in}

Senate

Debate

• _{Filibuster – Senate Only}

 “Talking a bill to death” – When a minority of senators tries to delay or prevent action on a bill.

 Old Rules: Must stand/no sitting, leaning, must not stop talking

 1957 – Strom Thurmond – 24 Hours, 18 minutes

 1970s Rules Were Changed – File a paper to filibuster

 Cloture – limits filibuster (60 votes to stop it)

 Leads to a supermajority needed to pass any bills that are closely divided in support – some say this violates the

Constitutional standard (simple majority)

Fact of Congress - Filibuster

•

Crimes and Punishment:

• _{Electoral: House} chooses a

President if no one receives a majority vote by the Electoral

College.

• The Senate

•

Treaties: Ratify (approve)

Your Assignment – 15

Points

•

Create a diagram or collage that briefly

summarizes each of the powers of

Congress.

•

Include an illustration that will help you

remember the significance of each

power.

Key Terms

•

Session

– Regular time which a

legislative body meets and conducts

business.

•

Special Session

: An extraordinary

session of the legislature called by the

President.

More Key Terms

•_{Apportionment: Distribution of}

seats in a legislative body among electoral districts.

•_{Reapportionment: Redistribution}

of political representation on the basis of population shift following a census.

•_{Gerrymandering: When districts}

are drawn to the advantage of the political party that controls the

state legislature.

–_{Goal: to create as many “safe”}

Arizona Congressional

Districts

District 1: Paul Gosar – R District 2: Trent Franks-R District 3: Ben Quayle– R District 4: Ed Pastor– D

District 5: David Schwikert – R District 6: Jeff Flake – R

District 7: Raul Grijalva – D

District 8: Gabrielle Gifford - D

house.gov

Go here to find out which

Your House Member?

Your Senators

Senate

Leadership

President of the Senate

Senate Majority Leader

Harry

Reid

Assistant Majority Leader

(Democratic Whip)

Richard Durbin

Senate

Minority

Leader

Mitch McConne

ll

Senate

Assistant

Minority

Leader

Republican Whip

Jon Kyl

•

The smaller of

the two bodies

of Congress.

• _{President of the}

Senate - Vice President of the United States.

• _{When the Vice}

President is not available, the leader of the Senate is the

•

Members are less

likely to be

influenced by

public opinion

because of their

longer term.

•

Known as the

Senate – Special Powers

•

Oversight of the executive branch of

government.

 Impeachment – serve as jury

Senate

Debate

• _{Filibuster – Senate Only}

 “Talking a bill to death” – When a minority of senators tries to delay or prevent action on a bill.

 Old Rules: Must stand/no sitting, leaning, must not stop talking

 1957 – Strom Thurmond – 24 Hours, 18 minutes

 1970s Rules Were Changed – File a paper to filibuster

 Cloture – limits filibuster (60 votes to stop it)

 Leads to a supermajority needed to pass any bills that are closely divided in support – some say this violates the

Constitutional standard (simple majority)

Fact of Congress - Filibuster

House

Leadership

John Boehner

Eric Cantor

Majority Leader

Nancy Pelosi

Minority Leader

Kevin McCarthy

Majority Whip

Steny Hoyer

• _{Members are} more likely to be

influenced by public

opinion because

House – Special Powers



Revenue/Tax

Bills

:

 all revenue bills must originate in the House of

Let’s Talk About It…

•

Turn to your partner