The Legislative Branch:
Congress (Unit IV)
Unit IV: Institutions of Government: Congress, Presidency,
Bureaucracy, Courts
(35-45%)
Congress (Unit IV)
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What is the demographic composition of
Congress? What groups are most
underrepresented and why?
Women in the US House What trends do you see and why has this
trend occurred?
Congressional Districts
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are 435 seats in the US House of
Representatives (#capped by federal law). Each
US house member today represents approximately
650,000 constituents.
Congressional Districts
Reapportionment
(done by Congress) – the process of reassigning number of seats per
state.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUCnb5_HZc0
Gerrymandering
(done by State lawmakers) – the process of drawing district lines to
benefit a party. Gerrymandering is allowed but there are two limitations
that have been established by the US the US Supreme Court.
Baker v. Carr (1962)
the “equal protection clause” has been interpreted to
mean that districts must be equal in size.
Known as the one man, one vote ruling.
Westbury v. Sanders (1964)
requires that Congressional districts be “compact and contiguous”
(districts can’t be randomly spread out or “polka dotted” around the
state….they have to be connected)
What is the result of
Gerrymandering?
There are still some very oddly shaped districts.
http://watt.house.gov/;
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Safe seats –
a seat predictably won by one party.
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A more “partisan” Congress
this is because safe seats are more likely to elect a more
ideological member.
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Majority minority districts
http://www.bobbyscott.house.gov/
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Story on 2010 redistricting.
Answer these questions as you watch the video.
(1) What will be the impact of redistricting?
(2) Which party will make gains from redistricting? Why?
(3) How will redistricting impact the Presidential election of 2012
and why?
Let’s play The Redistricting game.
http://www.redistrictinggame.org/
Redistricting Resources
2012 Redistricting:
●http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/
21/us/census-districts.html
Illinois Redistricting:
●http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisrevie
w/2011/05/congressional-redistricting-cutsdupage-co-into-six-cds.html
CNN Gerry Rigged:
●http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/18/politics/gerr
ymandering/index.html
Congressional Elections (Unit IV)
Congressional Elections –
Campaign Finance
Congress (Unit IV)
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Divided government
Unified government
How easy to
(a) pass a law
(b) amend constitution
(c) filibuster
The Legislative Process
I suggest each year you chose a “case study”
of a proposed bill or a bill that becomes law.
Use this to teach terms, processes, politics,
etc.
Teacher ideas of case studies?
See resources on the passing of the Health
Care Bill of 2009.
Pork Barrel Projects –
the “bridge to nowhere”
This bridge in Alaska was paid for via an earmark.
●Why does this anger Americans?
●Why do Senators use this method of securing
funding?
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Pork Barrel Legislation
Unit IV
The Healthcare Bill of 2009
Key Terms
Health insurance –
a private plan that individuals/businesses pay into that
guarantees medical care.
Medicarea government run health insurance plan for the retired/elderly.
MedicaidA government run health insurance program for the poor/disabled
(paid to states in the form of a block grant.
single payer systemHealth insurance provided by the government – this is not used in
the United States but is used in many developed countries.
What problems with health care
prompted Congress/President to act?
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Uninsured in USA = 40+ million
Medicaid covers the poor, many who work are too rich to
qualify for Medicaid but their jobs don’t provide insurance
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Rising health care costs
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Bankruptcies (most commonly from health care costs)
No law to prevent an insurance company from dropping a
client
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No law to prevent an insurance company from denying an
individual coverage based on a “preexisting condition”
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Problems with health care in U.S.A.
A comparison of health Spending as a
percentage of GDP.
Per capita spending on Health
Care
Public Spending on Health Care
Let’s learn about the new law
& how it passed.
President Obama outlined
his goals before a joint
session of Congress in
Sept. 2009.
**His plan was proposed to
a Democratic controlled
Congress.**
Clinton had proposed a
single payer system to a
Democratic Congress in ‘92
but the plan failed.
Let’s learn about the new law
& how it passed.
Obamacare links on YouTube
Part 1: President’s Speech/news clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2U1
84wRN6Pw
Part 2: House Debate/news clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ljfkgKzYL4&feature=relmfu
Part 3: Senate Debate/news clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyxdofZjHcw&feature=relmfu
Health Care Bill chronology
House passes Bill / Senate passes Bill with 60 votes
●Bill goes to conference committee
●Senator Brown (R) is elected to fill Sen Kennedy’s
place. Senate has lost it’s filibuster proof majority as
Brown promises to vote against the health care bill
●House votes on Senate version of the bill (not the bill
that comes out of the conference committee. This bill
is not as strong on forbidding abortion and has no
public option)
●Obama/Pelosi lobby progressive caucus to vote in
favor of Senate bill, Obama promises blue dog
democrats to sign executive order forbidding abortion
●House passes Senate version of bill, passes changes
to bill via “reconciliation” which only require 51 votes
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House & Senate Versions of the
Bill
House Version
●Expands Medicaid
●Insurance Mandate
●New rules for
insurance
●Strict Language
banning abortion
funding
●Public option Insurance
Program
Senate Version
●Expands Medicaid
●Insurance Mandate
●New rules for
insurance
The Health Care Bill that
passed
Extends coverage to 96% of Americans by 2014
●Increase in taxes on families making $250,000/yr
●Requires more employers to provide health ins.
●Raises eligibility for Medicaid/provides subsidies to
buy insurance for low income
●Mandates middle income purchase Health Insurance
●Establishes state run insurance exchange program
(which can not cover abortion)
●Bans discrimination based on preexisting
conditions/forbids dropping the sick
●Kids can stay on parents health insurance until age
26
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How would you vote?
Attacks from the right:
●http://graney.topcities.com/10healthrally.htm
Attacks from the left:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/fullepisodes/wed-october-27-2010-barackobama
If your answer is yes, would you change your mind if you
were representing a conservative district with many families
making over $250,00/year? Or a district with many
residents who would be subjected to the insurance
mandate?
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Affordable Health Care for America
Act
National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius
(2012)
Attorneys General argued congress exceeded its
power under the Commerce Clause when enacting
the insurance mandate
●Obama administration argued the bill falls within the
scope of federal power due to the necessary and
proper clause and the power to tax.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/orga
nizations/s/supreme_court/affordable_care_act/index.htm
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What are the advantages of
the majority party in the
legislative process?
The Legislative Process
Impact of Bicameralism (Unit IV)
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House
Speaker of the House
Rules Committee
Majority/minority
leaders
Whip
Rules Committee
Ways and Means
Open/Closed Rule
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Senate
Majority/minority
Leaders
President Pro
Tempore
Whip
Filibuster
Rider (aka Pork
Barrel)
The Legislative Process (Unit IV)
Importance of Committees
Seniority System within Committees
Role of Staff
Conference Committee
Veto
Veto overrides
Pocket Veto
The Legislative Process (Unit IV)
The Legislative Process (Unit IV)
The Legislative Process – Bypass Committee (discharge petitions)
The Legislative Process – Multiple Referrals
The Legislative Process (Unit IV)
MORE FILIBUSTERS
More polarized Congress…
Fewer Moderates in House
Eric Cantor (R-VA)
House Majority Leader
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=73
93500n&tag=mncol;lst;2
Web Simulations - Congress
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Center on Congress – Indiana University
http://congress.indiana.edu/interactivelearning-modules
Non Legislative Functions of
Congress (Unit IV)
Oversight of Bureaucracy
“Legislative Veto”
Ins. Chadha
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Constituent Service
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House – impeachments
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Senate – confirmations, ratifications
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Investigations
Congressional Oversight of
Bureaucracy (Unit IV)
Congress: Additional Useful
Web Sites
http://www.congresslink.org/
http://thomas.loc.gov/
www.vote-smart.org
www.c-span.org