The Legislative Branch – Unit 3
Outline #1 – Chapter 11 (starts on pg. 203)
I. Legislators and their Constituents
a. Most legislators start out in _____________ ________________. Once they have gathered experience,
they may try for a seat in the _________________________________________ or
______________________. As lawmakers move upward on the legislative path, they serve an ever-widening
group of _________________.
Define constituent:
b. Formal Qualifications of Legislators:
- Members of both the House and Senate must be ___________________________________
________________________________________________.
- Minimum age for House of Representatives:
- Citizenship Requirements for House of Representatives:
- Minimum age for Senate:
- Citizenship requirements for Senate:
c. Informal Qualifications:
What qualifications did the founding fathers expect legislators to have (these qualifications stood for about
200 years)?
What changes occurred to informal qualifications starting in the 1960s and 1970s?
What are the informal qualifications regarding education?
What are the informal qualifications regarding occupation?
d. Apportionment:
The U.S. Senate has a total of ______________ seats, ____________ for each ____________. The House of
Representatives has ____________ seats, with each seat __________________ one _________________
___________________.
House seats are apportioned, or ______________, among the states according to each state’s
___________________.
How does apportionment work (how are seats determined in the House)?
What is each state guaranteed in the House?
What is the constitutional principle behind apportionment? What does this mean in practice?
e. How Legislators See Their Jobs: Delegates vs. Trustees
- Describe lawmakers who see themselves as delegates:
- Describe lawmakers who see themselves as trustees:
- How do most legislators combine the roles of delegate and trustee?
f. Getting elected: Turnover and the Power of Incumbency
What ruling did the Supreme Court make in 1995 regarding term limits for legislators?
Does this apply to state legislators?
Explain each of the follow advantages of incumbents:
- Name recognition:
-
Office resources:
-
Campaign funds:
-
Bragging rights:
Define “pork”:
Why might voters elect a challenger instead of an incumbent?
II. The Organization of Congress
a. Bicameral Legislature
The Constitution establishes Congress as a _______________ legislature, consisting of the
_____________________________ and the _______________________.
What did the framers of the Constitution expect of the House of Representatives?
What did the framers of the Constitution expect of the Senate?
Comparing the House of Representatives and the Senate
House of Representatives
Size
Terms
Elected by …
Action
Press Coverage
Staff
Rules
Floor Debate
More influence on …
b. Leadership in the House
Since the mid-1800s what has Congress based its organization on?
Who controls the agenda?
How does the Speaker of the House get his/her position?
Functions of the Speaker of the House:
1.
2.
3.
Senate
How are the majority and minority leaders in the House chosen?
What is their duty?
Who are the majority and minority whips?
What are they responsible for?
c. Leadership Roles in the Senate
The President of the Senate is the ___________ ___________ _____________ _____________
____________ ________________. The Constitution assigns this position to the _____________
_______________ of the U.S.
In general, when does the President of the Senate appear?
Who is the President of the Senate pro tempore?
What does the term pro tempore mean?
Normally, who presides over day-to-day business in the Senate?
How is the role of majority leader in the Senate different from the House?
What is the role of the minority leader in the Senate?
What is the main duty of the majority and minority whips in the Senate?
Key Leadership Positions in Congress
House of Representatives
Senate
d. The Congressional Committee System
Why is there a need for the committee system in Congress?
Standing committees are _____________ _______________ that handle ________________
_______________ ___________________. Each committee has its own ______________ _____________
of _______________________.
What is another key duty of standing committees?
What is the purpose of committee hearings?
Subcommittees do most of the work _________________ __________________ ___________________.
Why are select or special committees formed?
What is the purpose of joint committees and who makes up the joint committees?
Why is a conference committee formed?
e. Staff and Support Agencies
What is the purpose of staff members?
What is the purpose of support agencies?
f. Caucuses and Coalitions
What is a caucus?
What are some examples of coalitions in Congress?
III. The Work of Congress
What are the two distinct but intersecting jobs of Congress?
What are the powers specifically given to Congress?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is the Elastic Clause?
Explain how Congress checks the other branches:
Oversight –
Confirmation –
ImpeachmentRatificationOverrideAmendmentEnacting Laws
How do checking powers of Congress apply within the Legislative branch?
Where can bills be introduced?
Most new bills are sent to a ______________________, where they are ____________________ and
______________________.
What happens to a bill if it survives in committee?
What happens to a bill once both houses agree on it?
Levying Taxes
The power to ______________ is one of the most important powers of Congress. Unlike other legislation,
however, ____________ _____________ can only originate in the _________________.
Why are taxes so important?
The Power of the Purse
What are appropriations?
Declaring War
Explain how Congress and the President share war-making power (what can each do)?
How has this shared power sometimes caused tension?
What is a joint resolution?
Casework
What is casework?
Casework is a _______________ for many legislators, but it is a key part of ________________
_____________________.
Explain how members of Congress serve their districts in each of the 3 ways listed below:
1. Individual Constituents:
2. Business and Interest Groups:
3. Entire District: