LBriones
U3: Congress SG & Vocab
(Chapter 12)
APGoPo
COMPETENCY GOAL 3: The learner will examine and understand the institutions of nat’l gov’t: the Congress.
Objectives
3.01 Examine the Constitutional framework for this institution.
3.02 Explain the legislative process.
3.03 Evaluate the informal institutional arrangements of power within Congress.
3.04 Analyze the linkages between Congress and the following:
(a) Public opinion and voters
(b) Interest groups
(c) Political parties
(d) The media
(e) State and local governments
3.05 Understand the relationship of Congress to the Presidency, Judiciary, and Bureaucracy and their varying
balances of power.
Chapter 12: CONGRESS
Vocabulary Concepts:
Incumbents
Casework
Pork barrel
Bicameral legislature
House Rules Committee
Filibuster
Speaker of the House
majority leader
whips
minority leader
standing committees & examples
joint committees & examples
conference committees & examples
select committees & examples
legislative oversight
committee chairs
seniority system
caucus & examples
bill
Reminder: READ chapter (you have to know examples)
Directions: Use your book and the internet to find the information below.
I. Read pg. 352-364 and answer the following questions on your own paper.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
What is free use of mail by Congress called?
What is the most prominent characteristics of Congressperson’s job?
What status is achieved by being in Congress?
Define “substantive, descriptive, elite, constituent” forms of representation.
Who has election advantage?
Describe the differences in re-election chances between HR and S.
Explain effects of “coattails”.
Define “casework”.
Define “credit-claiming”.
Explain “pork” and its importance.
Why might incumbents lose? What advantages do they have?
What are sources of campaign money?
What do “PACs” want?
II. Click on How Representative is the Congress, Really? to compare current Congressional representation to
actual population. Write down 3 thoughts you have on the information, its impact on representation, can it be
changed, does it matter?
LBriones
U3: Congress SG & Vocab
(Chapter 12)
APGoPo
III. $$$$$ In the 2000 election, the average Senate race winners spent over $6 million and House candidates more
than $800,000. Check out OpenSecrets.org for details.
1. How much did the average Senate and House elections cost in 2012?
2. How has the Citizens United (2010) decision change political contributions?
3. What is “shadow money”? Soft money? Hard money?
4. What are the 3 largest PACs that contribute to the Republican Party? The Democratic Party?
Campaign money terms to know: read this article on Citizens United: 5 years late and define all terms related to
campaign contributions, 
IV. Read Should We Impose Term Limits on Members of Congress? (pg. 365)
1. What are 2 arguments for term limits?
2. What are 2 arguments against term limits?
3. What are your thoughts on term limits (don’t be afraid to be expansive!)?
V. What is gerrymandering? In 1812, MA governor Elbridge Gerry created an advantageous political district
shaped like a salamander, thus “Gerrymander”, .
Read this article on Gerrymandering 101 and then go over here and check out the “The Top Ten Most
Gerrymandered Congressional Districts in the United States”. You might also enjoy this test: Is it an inkblot or a
gerrymandered district?”
1. Define malapportionment and gerrymandering. From the online article on Gerrymandering 101,
summarize what Minority Gerrymandering and packing are.
2. What is the sophomore surge? Why does it happen? What effects does it have?
3. Summarize the issues involved and the resolution in Baker v. Carr and Wesberry v. Sanders.
4. Go to this website http://www.redistrictinggame.org which has a redistricting game that you can play in
several functions. Hit “Play the Game.” Then choose Partisan Gerrymander – Basic Level. (If you get the
message about Java, click on “This link.”) Play the game for a bit. It’s not necessary that you complete the
mission. Just try to figure out what you would need to do in order to complete the mission. If you have time,
try some of the other missions, particularly Mission 4: Voting Rights Act. I’m more interested in your figuring
out how to achieve each mission than in your actually completing the mission.
VI. Interesting….
1. Which Congress is it?
112
113
2. How often are is Congress in session?
114
In recess?
Go to: Congressional Schedule for help.
3. What are the latest governmental salaries?
Position
Salary
Rank and File Member of
House or Senate
$___________
Speaker of the House
VPOTUS $____________
House and Senate Majority
and Minority Leaders
$___________
POTUS
$____________
$___________
LBriones
U3: Congress SG & Vocab
(Chapter 12)
APGoPo
VII. Who’s who? (some info found in chart pg. 366)
Congress
House
Senate
Number of Members
Term Lengths
Election Frequency
Incumbent Reelection % (from latest
election)
Age Requirement
Citizenship requirements
Constitutional powers
Constituencies
Centralization of power
Role in policymaking
Turnover
Role of seniority
Procedures
Name of Speaker of the House
Name of Majority Leader
Name of Minority Leader
Name of Majority Whips
# of Democrats
# of Republicans
# of Women
# of Non-Whites
# of Non-Christians
Chairman-Ways and Means
Committee (& state)
Chairman-Foreign Relations (& state)
VIII Congress Review
1.
Amendment ____________ requires members of Congress to take office on January 3.
2.
Amendment ____________ established the popular vote of senators.
3.
____________________________ is your representative in the House of Representatives.
LBriones
U3: Congress SG & Vocab
(Chapter 12)
APGoPo
4.
Our federal legislative branch is called ____________________________.
5.
Article __________ of the US Constitution established the legislative branch.
6.
There are ___________members in the House of Representatives.
7.
The _______________ determines the population and is taken every _______ years.
8.
There are ___________________ total members of Congress.
9.
Every 2 years, _________________ of the Senate seats are voted upon.
10.
Harris County is in the _______________ Congressional district.
11.
A _____________________________ is a party meeting held to determine the party leadership.
12.
A Senator must be a citizen for _____________________ years.
13.
There are _____________________ members in the Senate.
14.
All States have ___________________ Senators.
15.
TX has __________ seats in the House of Representatives.
16.
A _____________________ is a 3/5 vote that ends debate or filibuster in the Senate.
17.
Article I, section 8 is often referred to as the _________________________ clause.
18.
A(n) ______________________________ is a Senate measure used to hold the floor until opponents of a
bill concede to certain demands or conditions on a bill.
19.
Our two Senators (& party affiliation) are: ______________________ & _____________________.
20.
D.C. has ______ Electors, but no voting members in Congress (taxation without representation?)
IX Committees
1. What is the role of the committee system in Congress?
2. How are committee chairs selected?
Standing Committees in the Senate and in the House
Senate Committees
House Committees
LBriones
U3: Congress SG & Vocab
(Chapter 12)
APGoPo
X. HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW (I'm Just a Bill):
The legislative process (30 minutes)
CONGRESS
Bill Introduction
Committee Action
Floor Action
HOUSE
SENATE
Bill Introduction
?
Bill Introduction
?
Subcommittee
?
Subcommittee
?
Committee
?
Committee
?
Rules Committee
?
Leadership
?
Full Senate
?
Full House
?
Conference Committee
?
Conference Action
Full Senate
?
Full House
?
Presidential decision
President
?
1. Who can draft a bill? _____________________ Propose a law? _________________________ How many bills
are usually introduced? ______________ What happens to most of them? _____________________________
2. How do committees complicate the legislative process?
3. Omnibus legislation ~
4. Why is it more difficult to pass legislation in the Senate than the House?
LBriones
U3: Congress SG & Vocab
(Chapter 12)
APGoPo
X. CONGRESS & everybody else:
& the President:
1. What is the president’s task?
2. Where is a president most successful?
& Party, Constituency, & Ideology:
3. On ___________________ policy, personal ideology & constituency, are ____________ important.
4. When are parties most cohesive?’
5. On what issues are the parties most different?
6. What are several things party leaders can do?
7. How are members of Congress politicos?
8. Go to Tracking the U.S. Congress & find your representative. Explore the site; write down 3 things you learned
there. For example, I found out my representative (Sheila Jackson Lee) voted against a Small Business Tax Credit.
HEY!!! I’m a small business owner! 
9. What is a single-issue group? Examples? Why do they make legislators nervous?
10. On a typical issue, what is the prime determinant of a representative’s vote?
11. What do lobbyists do? Go to OpenSecrets.org & check out their info on lobbying .
12. How much $$ was spent in 2014? _______________ How many lobbyists were there? _______
13. What was the top industry in terms of $$ contributions?
14. How has Congress made life difficult for lobbyists?
15. Overall, how does the text define lobbyists’ influence in Congress? Do you agree? Explain.
Understanding Congress:
16. In what ways is Congress undemocratic?
17. Congress does try to listen to people. What are some obstacles to that?
18. What reforms have made Congress a more open, democratic institution?
19. Describe the Speaker’s & committee chairs power now compared to the 1980s.
20. What do critics of the committee system contend?
21. What do defenders of Congress argue?