UNIT 5 – INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT: CONGRESS
GENERAL TOPICS:
Differences Between Congress and
Parliament
Congressional Basics
Evolution of House and Senate
Who Serves in Congress?
Winning Congressional Elections
Congressional Views
Leadership of Congress
Congressional Caucuses
Congressional Committees
Differences Between Bills and
Resolutions
How a Bill Becomes a Law
SPECIFIC ASPECTS:
Primary work and responsibility;
relationship between each to the
executive
Article I powers; eligibility; number in
each chamber; structure; purpose;
problems
What role has changed in the House
over time? How has the Senate
become more democratic?
Generally speaking, how would you
describe a typical member of
Congress? How is the 113th Congress
demographically unique?
What is gerrymandering? Difference
between safe and marginal districts
Influential views – representational,
organizational, attitudinal; polarization
between public opinion and
Congressional opinion (i.e. growing
gap, professional politicians, ugly
campaigns)
Key party leaders in the House and
Senate and their roles; party
breakdowns below key leaders
Purpose; benefits and drawbacks
Standing committees in the House and
Senate; exclusive committees in the
House; select, joint, and conference
committees; congressional staffers’
responsibilities; problems with staffers’
role; three staffing agencies
Definition of a bill; definition of a
resolution; three types of resolutions
Process  introduction of bill,
committee referral, subcommittee
hearings, marking up, committee
voting, reporting bill, Rules Committee
in House, debating, voting; revenue
bills; floor debate differences (i.e.
procedural rules in House and Senate);
quorum and Committee of the Whole
differences; filibustering; cloture;
double-tracking; presidential action
(veto, pocket veto, etc.)
Controversies of Congress
Pork barrel legislation, logrolling,
franking privilege