Consider:
Does Congress
“look” like
America?
Should it?
Homework:
Assignment 3
for Monday;
quiz tomorrow
Consider: Does Congress “look” like America? Should it?
Membership in Congress
AP Government and Politics
Homework Assignment:
Assignment #3 for tomorrow
Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page…
 Reason for/purpose of bicameral legislature?
 Membership of each house?
 Qualifications?
 Term length?
 Representational information?
In the House:
247 Republicans, 188 Democrats
In the Senate:
54 Republican, 44 Democrats, 1 Independent
Democrat and 1 Independent
Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page…
 Reason for/purpose of bicameral legislature?
 Membership of each house?
 Qualifications?
 Term length?
 Representational information?
In the House:
247 Republicans, 188 Democrats
In the Senate:
54 Republican, 44 Democrats, 1 Independent
Democrat and 1 Independent
6.2
6.2

Better educated than general population
 Two-thirds of members hold advanced degrees

Wealthier than general population
 Senate “Millionaires Club”

Recent increases in minority
representation

Does Congress look like America? Should it?

Consider the idea of “descriptive representation.”
 What does this mean to you?
 Does this idea hold any water, in your opinion?

Does the preponderance of a particular
demographic group compromise the quality of
representation provided by the US Congress?
Who are the nonvoting members
representing Washington, D.C.?
6.2
TABLE 6.4: What are the advantages to
incumbency?
6.2

Incumbents
 Why have Senate races historically been more
competitive than House races?
▪ Why do they have a slightly lower incumbency rate?
▪ Since Senators have a six-year term to prepare for re-elections,
shouldn’t Senators expect greater electoral success?
 Should the number of terms served by members of
Congress be limited, as they are for the President?
▪ Why or why not?
6.2
 Follows census
 State Legislatures
redraw districts
 Often political in
nature
 Party in power
controls the process
 Gerrymandering
 Drawing a district to
favor a party or
candidate
6.2
a. Congress
b. State legislatures
c. Political parties
d. Independent commissions
The Illinois 4th
Congressional District
is a Hispanic majority
district in parts of the
North Side and the
southwest side of
Chicago.
 It surrounds a black
majority district, the
7th district.

 It is ten miles wide, and
runs along railroad
tracks, forest preserves,
and cemeteries.

The Supreme Court
declined to hear a suit
about the 4th district.