Chapter 9
The Congress
Why was Congress Created?
• founders feared tyrannical rulers
• founders also had experienced the weakness
of the congress under the Articles of
Confederation
• bicameralism attempts to balance the power
among large and small states
The Powers of Congress
Enumerated powers
• come from Article I, section 8 of the Constitution
•
•
•
•
control of money
regulation of trade beyond state borders
regulation of military
defining the court structure
Implied powers
• come from the necessary and proper clause
• come from the Supreme Court’s ruling in McCulloch v.
Maryland
allows Congress to enact laws that may assist the Congress in
accomplishing goals directly related to the enumerated power
The Functions of Congress
• lawmaking
• constituent service (casework)
• representing
• as a trustee
• as an instructed delegate
• as a combination of roles
• oversight
• public education
• conflict resolution
Differences Between the House and the Senate
HOUSE*
Members chosen from local districts
Two-year term
Originally elected by voters
May impeach (indict) federal officials
Larger (435 voting members)
More formal rules
Debate limited
Less prestige and less individual notice
Originates bills for raising revenues
Local or narrow leadership
More partisan
SENATE*
Members chosen from an entire state
Six-year term
Originally (until 1913) elected by state
legislatures
May convict federal officials of
impeachable offenses
Smaller (100 members)
Fewer rules and restrictions
Debate extended
More prestige and more media attention
Has power to advise the president on, and
to consent to, presidential appointments
and treaties
National leadership
Less party loyalty
* Some of these differences, such as the term of office, are provided for in the Constitution. Others, such as
debate rules, are not.
Comparing Congresspersons and the Citizenry
Congressional Elections
• operated by individual state governments
• House of Representatives
–
–
–
–
elected every two years by popular ballot
number of seats is determined by population
each state has at least one representative
each district has about a half million residents
• U.S. Senate
– elected every six years
– by popular ballot (since ratification of the Seventeenth
Amendment)
– one third of the Senate is elected every two years
– each state has two Senators
Congressional Reapportionment
reapportionment – the allocations of seats in
the House of Representatives to each state
after each census
vs.
redistricting – the redrawing of the boundaries
of the districts within each state
• gerrymandering
• minority-majority districts
The First “Gerrymander”
The Committee Structure of
Congress
•
•
•
•
standing committees
select committees
joint committees
conference committees
Leadership in the U.S. Congress
• House of Representatives
–
–
–
–
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Speaker of the House
House Majority Leader
House Minority Leader
House Majority Whip
House Minority Whip
• U.S. Senate
– President of Senate (Vice President of U.S.) (essentially
ceremonial)
– President pro tem of the Senate
– Majority Floor Leader
– Minority Floor Leader
– Senate Majority Whip
– Senate Minority Whip
Hot Links to Selected Internet
Resources:
• Book’s Companion Site:
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com/schmidtbrie
f2004
• Wadsworth’s Political Science Site:
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com
• U.S. Senate: http://www.senate.gov
• U.S. House of Representatives:
http://www.house.gov
• Roll Call Newspaper Online:
http://www.rollcall.com