Government Institutions:
Legislative Branch
Congressional Structure
Congress
House
Senate
• 435 members
• Representatives based
on population
• 2 year term
• Serve the constituents
of their DISTRICTS
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100 members
2 per state
6 year term
Serve the constituents
of their STATES
House of
Representatives
• Must be 25 years of age (when seated, not when elected).
• Must have been a citizen of the United States for 7 years.
• Must be an inhabitant of the state from which elected. (NOTE:
custom, but not the Constitution, requires that a representative
live in the district that he or she represents.)
• Serve a two year term.
Senate
• Must be 30 years of age (when seated, not when
elected).
• Must have been a citizen of the United States for 9
years.
• Must be an inhabitant of the state from which elected.
• Serve a six year term; 1/3 up for re-election at a time
Determining Representatives
in the House
• Census Every 10 years to determine population
• Reapportionment – Congress divides the 435
House seats between states based on population
• Redistricting - state legislature draws the new
district lines
• Gerrymandering - drawing district lines based
on some characteristic other than just population
Original Gerrymander
Non-gerrymandered
district
Gerrymandered district
Terms and Sessions
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Congressional Term for 2 yrs
Session- 2 sessions Jan 3rd – Dec., Jan - July 31st
Work day: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Working time: Noon to 5 – 6 o’clock.
Recess = temporary break
Special Session= Outside of regular hours
Joint Session= Both House and Senate
“State of the Union” Called by president
Congressional
Leadership
Leadership in the
House of Representatives
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Selected by the majority party
Job:
Presiding Officer of
the House
Power:
Decides which
committee a bill
goes to.
Paul Ryan
R – Wisconsin
Leadership in the
House of Representatives
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Selected by the majority party
Majority Leader
Leads the Republican party
Job: Support legislation for
party and get it passed
Minority Leader
Leads the Democratic party
Job: Leads Opposition to
control the majority party
Kevin McCarthy
R – California
Nancy Pelosi
D – California
Leadership in the
House of Representatives
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Selected by the majority party
Majority Leader
Majority Whip
Job:Assists the
leader, rounds up
votes, heads large
group of deputy
and assistant
whips.
Steve Scalise
R – Louisiana
Minority Leader
Minority
Whip
Job: Assists the
leader, rounds
up votes, heads
large group of
deputy and
Steny Hoyer
D - Maryland
assistant whips.
Georgia’s Representation
• Georgia currently has
14 congressional
districts.
• McEachern’s current
congressional district
is the 13th represented
by:
Congressman
David Scott
Georgia Delegation 114th
Buddy Carter, Sanford Bishop, Lynn Westmoreland, Hank
Johnson, John Lewis, Tom Price
Rob Woodall, Austin Scott, Doug Collins, Jody Hice, Barry
Loudermilk, Rick Allen, David Scott, Tom Graves
Leadership in the
United States Senate
Leadership in the
United States Senate
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
The Vice President of the United States
Vice President
Joseph Biden
Job:
President of the Senate
Power:
Breaks tie in legislation.
Otherwise does not
vote.
Leadership in the
United States Senate
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
The Vice President of the United States
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE
Selected by majority party. Usually
most senior member of the Senate
majority party
Job:
Presides over the
Senate when the
Vice President is
absent.
Senator Orrin Hatch
R – Utah
Leadership in the
United States Senate
Majority Leader
Minority Leader
Leads the Democratic party
Job: Guides legislation
Leads the Republican party
Job: Leads Opposition
Mitch McConnell
Harry Reid
R - Kentucky
D - Nevada
Georgia’s Representation
Senator
Senator
Johnny Isakson
David Perdue
AND
Congress
Senate
Upper House
House of Representatives
Lower House
President of Senate
VP of USA
Speaker of House
President Pro Tempore
Majority Leader
Senior Ranking Member Of the Majority Party
Senate Majority
Leader
Senate Minority
Leader
House Majority
Floor Leader
House Minority
Leader
Senate Majority
Whip
Senate Minority
Whip
House Majority
Whip
House Minority
Whip
100 Senators
2 from each State
435 Representatives
Elected by Population
Other House & Senate Positions
• Clerk of House does administrative duties.
• Parliamentarian keeps rule on debate.
• Chaplain prays before debate.
• Sergeant at Arms keep order.
• Official Reporters writes every single word in meeting.
• Post Master sees that everything is distributed.
Congressional Rules and
Benefits
Congressional Expectations
• Loyalty to chamber – don’t talk about them
• Civility to each other – Polite, courteous
• Seniority – the most senior members get
more choice of assignments
• Specialization - become an expert in an area
• Reciprocity (aka logrolling)-support for
each others bill. “I’ll help pass your
transportation bill now if you help pass my
health care bill when it comes to the floor.”
Congressional Representation
• Delegate – follows the advice and instruction of
constituents
• Trustee - assume the people put you in, so now
you vote your conscience
• Politico - uses whichever will help politically;
become a delegate on pork barrel issues and a
trustee on all others
Compensation and Benefits
Salaries - $174,000 per year
Senate Leadership
Majority Party Leader - $193,400
Minority Party Leader - $193,400
House Leadership
Speaker of the House - $223,500
Majority Leader - $193,400
Minority Leader - $193,400
Compensation and Benefits
• Offices – home state & DC
• Expense Accounts
• Stationary and Postage (Franking privilege)
• Pension Plan and Retirement Income
• Incumbency – advantage of already
holding office – helps in re-election
Congressional Powers
Congressional Powers
Enumerated
listed in Article I Section 8; most important
Implied
necessary and proper/elastic clause
do what necessary to carry out enumerated
allows for today's laws
Denied
ex post facto
bill of attainder
suspend writ of habeas corpus
grant titles of nobility
Delegated/Enumerated/Expressed Powers are:
Specifically Granted in Constitution
Legislative Powers
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13.
Provide common defense
Make citizenship rules
Run military (armed services)
Declare War
Supervise Washington DC
Raise Money (taxes)
Regulate Trade
Spend Money (pay bills, fund programs)
Coin money (and set value)
Run Post Office & Roads
Issue Copyrights & Patents
Establish Federal Courts
Set number of justices on Supreme Court
Non-legislative Powers
1.
Advice and Consent
(Senate approve treaties & appointments)
2.
Impeachment Charges (House)
3.
Convict & Remove Impeached Officials (Senate)
4.
Admit new states
5.
Amend the Constitution
6.
Count Electoral Votes
(Senate Counts; House votes if not 270 vote)
7.
Serve as “watchdog” over government
Prohibited Powers - Limits on Congress
writ of habeas corpus
Can’t put you in jail without telling you charges
bills of attainder
Can’t pass law that punishes group without trial
ex post facto laws
Can’t pass a retroactive law charging you for something that was legal when you
did it
Implied Powers are:
Laws needed to help carry out the enumerated powers (Necessary
& Proper/Elastic Clause)
Capitol
Tidbits
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Site chosen in 1791; British burned in 1814
300 feet to top of statue
Freedom Statue is 19’ 6”
Capitol sits on 3.5 acres; 168 acres around it are designated to the
capitol
• Diameter of Rotunda is 95’ (whisper heard across the room)
• Original rule was that nothing could be higher than Freedom
Statue; exception made for Washington monument
Capitol Building Architecture
360 Tour of Capitol
Capitol Grounds
Learning Modules
How a Bill Becomes a Law
A Bill is a proposed law
The Sponsor is the person who
proposes the bill
Types of Bills
•Public Bills-applies to general
public
•Private Bills –concern individuals
Sub Committee
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Standing
Committee
Rules
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
House
Floor
Conference
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
President
Law
Senate Floor
Debate
Senate
Floor
House
Floor
Senate
Floor
Sub Committee
A Bill Can Start in Either the House or Senate
House of
Representatives
Senate
A Bill Can Start in Either the House or Senate
Introducing a Bill
•Senate - a motion from the floor
•House - placed in a box called the Hopper
Assign Bills to Committees
Each bill is sent to a standing
(permanent) committee by either the:
•Speaker of the House
•Majority Leader of the Senate
(with help of the Steering
Committee)
Types of Committees
• Standing Committees (Permanent)
– Specialized committee: bills fall under
their jurisdiction
• Select Committees
– Temporary committees set up for
investigative purposes
• Joint Committees
– Made up of members of both houses of
Congress
Standing
Committee
House of
Representatives
Sub Committee
Standing
Committee
House of
Representatives
Standing Committee
•research the bill to see if it will work
•hear testimony from the public, interest group
lobbyists and experts in the field
•look for loopholes (ways people can get around
the new law)
Committee Choices
• Pigeon hole - Set aside to discuss later (usually kills the bill
because it never gets discussed later)
• Clean bill – Get rid of bill and write a new one to replace it
• “Mark Up” - Make changes to the bill in committee or
subcommittee
• Report bill favorably to floor (Pass the bill as it is)
• Report bill unfavorably to floor (so the committee isn’t
responsible for killing it by pigeonhole…This is done if the
law is controversial and known by general public)
Saving a Bill from Committee
When any bill has been in a “House Committee”
for more than 30 days, a representative can ask
the Bypass Committee to use a Discharge
Petition (which requires a majority vote) to send
the bill to the House floor.
Calendars
Once passed by committee the bill is put on
a calendar. Each bill must be voted on in
the order it is placed on the calendar.
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House
Union
Private
Consent
Revenue ($$) bills
All other public bills
Private Bills
No discussion needed, just a vote
Sub Committee
Standing
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
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The HOUSE Rules Committee
(VERY POWERFUL)
Places all House bills on the calendar
Set rules for debate (length of total debate
and individual speaker time)
Set rules for amendments
•Open Rule – no limit on # of changes
•Closed Rule – no changes allowed
•Modified Rule – limited # of changes
Committee of the Whole can be used to
continue debate (requires 100 reps to be in
chamber) but all actions must be approved
by the entire House.
Sub Committee
Standing
Committee
Rules
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
House Debate Rules
•Only one bill at a time can be debated
•Debate must be germane (related to topic)
•Debate time is limited
Senate Debate Rules
•2 or 3 bills can be debated at a time
•Debate does not have to be germane
•Debate time is NOT limited
•Filibusters - unlimited speaking on any issue
•Cloture
•Motion by 16 senators PRIOR TO a filibuster
•3/5 vote of Senate will limit debate to 1 hour
Floor Action on Bills
Pass the bill as written
Table the bill on floor while voting for it.
Send bill back to the committee for further study
Amending the Bill
Senate Only: Riders (non-germane
amendments) are allowed
Voting in Congress
Voice vote: “All in favor”, “All opposed”.
Standing vote: Stand up when vote is called.
Roll call vote: names called & you tell your vote.
Mandatory method for overriding President’s veto.
Electronic Vote
Senate
Standing
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate
Bill Passes Both Houses
•If bill passes in exact same version from both
•Bill goes directly to President
•If it is passed in two versions
• conference committee is formed
• conference must reach agreement
• the revised bill is voted on in both chambers
• majority vote in each House will pass bill to
the President
Sub Committee
Standing
Committee
Rules
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
President
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Law
Senate Floor
Debate
Majority vote in each house
for passage.
Sub Committee
Standing
Committee
Rules
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
Conference
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate
Members from both
Senate and House make
up the Conference Committee.
Sub Committee
Standing
Committee
Rules
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
House
Floor
The bill must be
passed on each
floor with no
changes.
Conference
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate
Senate
Floor
Sub Committee
Standing
Committee
Rules
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
House
Floor
Conference
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
President
Senate Floor
Debate
Senate
Floor
Sub Committee
Standing
Committee
Rules
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
House
Floor
Conference
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
President
Senate Floor
Debate
Senate
Floor
If the President signs the bill
then it becomes law.
Law
Bill Becomes a Law
•When the President signs it, the bill becomes law
•If the president does not sign in 10 days and
--Congress is still in session, bill becomes law
--Congress has adjourned, pocket veto occurs
•If the President vetoes the bill it can still be passed with a
2/3 vote in both the House and Senate.
•If the 2/3 of House & 2/3 of Senate override the veto, the
bill becomes law
Sub Committee
Standing
Committee
Rules
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
House
Floor
Conference
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
President
Senate Floor
Debate
Senate
Floor
If the President vetoes the bill
then it goes back to both houses.
House
Floor
Senate
Floor
Sub Committee
Standing
Committee
Rules
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
House
Floor
Conference
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
President
Law
Senate Floor
Debate
Senate
Floor
This time the bill must be passed
by 2/3 of majority to override.
House
Floor
Senate
Floor
Subcommittee
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Standing
Committee
Rules
Committee
House of
Representatives
House Floor
Debate
House
Floor
Conference
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
President
Law
Senate Floor
Debate
Senate
Floor
House
Floor
Senate
Floor
Subcommittee
Interest Groups
in Politics
What is an Interest
Group?
A group of people who hold
common views and who work
together to influence what the
government does about those
things they have in common.
Goal: Lobbying for the Cause
• Lobbyists work for the interest group to get
elected officials to pass policies that will be
good for their group
– Provide public opinion information
– Provide data and statistics to support the
cause
– Find experts to testify in favor of laws
Goal:
Help get people elected that
will support the cause
• Form Political Action Committees (PACs)
– A part of the interest group that uses money from
interest groups membership fees and donations to
educate lawmakers and to support political
candidates that support their groups' policy
choices
• Most money goes to incumbents (those in
office and running for re-election)
Types of Interest Groups
• Economic
– establish
standards, better
working
conditions
• Determined by
the way people
earn a living
• Business &
professional,
labor,
agricultural
•
NAM (National Association of
Manufacturers)
•
American Bankers Association
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AFL-CIO
•
General Motors
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AMA (American Medical Association)
•
ABA (American Bar Association)
•
NEA (National Education Association)
Types of Interest Groups
• Social Action
– Membership is
determined by birth
– Gender, Race, Ethnicity,
Age
• NOW
– National Organization
of Women
• NAACP
– National Association
for Advancement of
Colored Persons
• National Council of
Senior Citizens
• Single Issue
– Focus on one policy
area
• MADD (Mothers
Against Drunk
Driving)
• NRA (National Rifle
Association)
Types of Interest Groups
• Religious
– support or oppose laws
morally
• U.S. Catholic Conference
• Christian Coalition
• Public Interest
– Environment, Voter
Registration,
Consumer Protection,
Historic preservation
• Sierra Club
• Common Cause