Transcript Unit Three: Chapter 10

Chapter Five
The Organization
of Congress
Bicameralism
• Congress is made up of two houses.
– The Senate and the House of Representatives.
• Senate + House of Reps = Congress
– Has roots from Great Britain.
• Compromise from NJ and VA Plans.
• The two houses check & balance each other.
• Each term of Congress consists of two
sessions, one during each year of a term.
House of Representatives
• Size – 435 members
– Not fixed by Constitution, set by Congress
– One seat is about 620,000 people
• Apportionment
– Constitution says seats will be apportioned
(distributed) among states on basis of their
respective population.
• Look on page 125
Qualifications
• Must be 25 years old.
• Must be a citizen for 7
years.
• Must live in the state
where you are chosen.
• Tradition – must live
in the district where
you are chosen.
• Can punish their own.
• Can expel their own
with a 2/3 vote.
• And they have….
Everyone gets a say…
• Every state is guaranteed one seat in the House of
Representatives.
• The following states only have one representative:
– Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North and South Dakota,
Vermont, and Wyoming
• District of Colombia, Guam, Virgin Islands,
American Samoa
– All have a delegate to represent them in the house
• Puerto Rico chooses a resident commissioner
• None of these are considered H.O.R. members.
It’s a short life
• Representatives are chosen every 2 years
for 2 year terms.
– Next election is always near, so they tend to
think more about the folks back home
• No constitutional limit on the number of
terms representatives may serve.
• Here’s how I would shorthand this:
– Terms: 2 years, no limit!
Keeping it fair!
• Article One of the Constitution says…
• Congress must reapportion (redistribute)
seats after the decennial census!
– So… we had apportionment done in 2001, after
the 2000 census, and it will become effective in
2002 elections.
• Check out page 125
Reapportionment Act of 1929
• 1 – Permanent size of House of Reps is 435
• 2 – After the census, the Census Bureau will
determine how many seats each state should
have.
• 3 – The President sends the Bureau’s
completed report to Congress.
• 4 – If within 60 days of receiving it, no state
disapproves, it becomes effective.
Congressional Elections
• Have been held on the same day of
Presidential elections ever since 1872.
– 1st Tues, after 1st Mon, in Nov, every 4 yrs.
• Off-year Elections
– Congressional elections that occur years other
than a Presidential election.
– Usually the party in power loses seats in an offyear election.
Congressional Terms and Sessions
• Terms begin:
– As per 20th amendment, the “lame duck
amendment”
– January 3rd of odd numbered years at noon
– Last for two years, each year is one session
• Current congress:
– 111th
– Jan 3rd 2009 – Jan 3rd 2011
Districts
• There are 435 districts. • General ticket system
– Senate’s seats are filled
• Single Member
at large (from the state
District
– One person is chosen
for that district
– H.O.R.
as a whole).
– Everyone votes on
everyone
The Senate, aka: “Upper House”
• Composed of 2 senators from each state.
• Went from 22 members in 1789 to 100 now.
• Senators are picked by voters in each state
at regular November elections.
• Each Senator is elected from the state at
large.
– General Ticket System
Senators, continued.
• Serve 6 year terms.
– They feel less public pressure and can vote
more how they feel, than their constituents.
– Are supposed to be focused on the big picture.
• There is no limit to how often they can be
re-elected.
• Is a continuous body – all seats are never up
for re-election at the same time.
Smaller body, more power?
• Senators have more power in their State
organizations, than H.O.R.’s.
• They have easier access to media, and have
larger staffs than H.O.R.’s.
• They are also the primary source to
Presidential Candidate Nominations.
– More senators are up for the Presidency than
H.O.R.’s.
Qualifications
• Need to be at least 30.
• Must be a citizen for 9
years.
• Must be an inhabitant
of the state where they
were elected.
• May exclude a
member-elect by a
majority vote.
– 2/3 vote
• Can punish their own
members.
• 15 members have been
expelled.
Gerrymandering
• Check out page 126 to
see district lines.
• When the political
party controlling the
state gov’t draws a
district’s boundaries to
gain an advantage in
elections.
Who’s Who Among
Congress
Men & Women
The Firsts…
• 1st African American
– Hiram Rhodes Revels
– 1870-1871
– Republican,
Mississippi.
• 1st Woman
– Jeannette Rankin
– 1916
– Republican, Montana
• 1st Chinese American
– David Wu
– 1998
– Democrat, Oregon
• 1st Native American
– Ben Nighthorse
Campell
– 1992
– Republican, Colorado
Other statistics…
•
•
•
•
Look at page 129!
60% are Protestant.
1/3 are lawyers.
1/3 were at one point on
the House of
Representatives.
• Almost all are
upper/middle class.
• Almost all are married.
• Nearly all have a college
degree.
• Many depend on their
salaries for their income.
• Most serve in House for 4
terms, and Senate for 2.
More stats on the
th
111
Congress
http://oncongress.cq.com/corp/flatfile
s/editorialFiles/temporaryItems/mon2
0041103-3demographics.pdf
Duties of the Job
• Their major job is to make law.
• They are members of Congress, but also:
–
–
–
–
Committee Members
Representatives of their constituents
Servants of their constituents
Politicians
Additional Duties…
• Trustees
– Holders of public trust,
who decide issues on
merit alone (not
opinions of
groups/constituents).
• Delegates
– Agents of those who
elected them, should
suppress their own
views in favor of
electorates.
• Partisans
– Bound to vote on
issues according to
party platform and
party leaders.
• Politicos
– Many members
attempt to balance the
roles of trustee,
delegate, and partisan.
Compensation
• Senators and Representatives receive
salaries averaging $165,000
• Nonsalary Compensation
– Congressional Members receive fringe benefits
• Low cost medical care
• Free printing and distribution of speeches,
newsletter, and other materials
• Congress sets their own benefits
Any Privileges?
• Members cannot be arrested for
misdemeanors while Congress is in session.
• Members are immune from court action
because of any speech they may make in
Congress.
• Myth – Congressional Members do not pay
taxes from their pay check…
– YES THEY DO!!!!!