Congress is made up of:
•House
•Senate
Which branch of government is
established by Article 1
• Legislative Branch
• What is the main function of the legislative
branch?
• To make laws
• Where does Congress meet?
• Washington D.C.
• Name given to a two house legislature
• Bicameral
House of Representatives
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How many members?
435
Minimum age
25
Which party controls?
Democrats
How many up for reelection every two years?
All-435
How many reps in Washington?
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9
What district do you live in?
District 1
Who is your representative?
Jay Inslee—Democrat
Name the top five leadership positions?
What are crucial factors in the
selection?
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Seniority and majority party
Members are elected for how many years?
2
A census must be taken every ______ years
10
Define apportionment
Divide into shares or dividing seats in a
legislative body
Reapportion
• To redistribute legislative seats after a census
• Redistricting means:
• Redrawing legislative boundaries or districts
after a census
• Gerrymandering means:
• To draw unreasonable or oddly shaped
districts to benefit one political party over
another
Gerrymander
Washington’s Congressional Districts
How many did constituents did the
representatives have originally?
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30,000
How many do they have today?
About 650,000
According to paragraph 5, what is the power
given to the House?
• Sole power of impeachment
• What does impeach mean?
• To bring formal charges against an elected official
Has this power ever been used against
a president?
• Yes, twice
• Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton
Senate
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Each state has how many senators?
2
How many members in the senate today?
100
Minimum age
30
Which party controls the senate today?
Democrats
Who are Washington state’s senators?
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Patty Murray -democrat
Maria Cantwell-democrat
Senators are elected for how many years?
6
Minimum age is:
30
Who is the president of the senate?
Vice president of the US—Joseph Biden
What official presides when he is
gone?
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President Pro Tempore
Currently Daniel Inouye
When does the Vice President vote?
When there is a tie
Define filibuster
Talking a bill to death; holding the floor at
length in an attempt to avoid or postpone a
vote
Define cloture:
• Parliamentary tactic used to stop a filibuster
• Requires signatures of 3/5 of senators
• Who are the top five leadership positions in
the Senate?
• http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/senators/
a_three_sections_with_teasers/leadership.ht
m
The House is given sole power of
impeachment.
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What related power is given to the Senate?
The power to try the impeached official
They are the “jury”
What two penalties are imposed?
Removal from office
Never holding another public office
Originally, senators were elected by:
State legislatures
How was this changed?
• By the 17th amendment allowing for direct
election of senators
• How often does Congress meet?
• Once a year
• 20th amendment says opening day is:
• January 3rd
• Who determines the rules?
• Each house decides its own
Congressional Immunity
• You can’t be arrested for a misdemeanor while
Congress is in session
• You can’t be sued for slander for speeches
made on the floor
• Current compensation:
What is a bill?
• A proposed piece of legislation
• Define law:
• A bill that has passed through both houses of
congress, and signed by the President
• All revenue bills must originate in which
house?
• House of representatives
Define Quorum
• The number of people required to transact
business
• 218 in the house
• 51 in the Senate
• What fraction is required to override a
presidential veto?
• 2/3
• Name of official record is:
• Congressional record or Journal
Powers of Congress
• There are 17 powers granted to Congress by
the Constitution
• Collect taxes
• Borrow money
• Establish rules of naturalization
• Regulate commerce (trade) with foreign
nations
• Coin money
Powers con’t
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Punishment for counterfeit
Establish post office
Issue patents and copyrights
Raise and support an army
Define and punish piracy
Declare war
A few others….
Elastic clause
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Article 1, section 8, paragraph 18
Also called the necessary and proper clause
Gives congress “implied powers”
Ability to make any law that is “necessary and
proper”
• Very important part of the Constitution!!!
Loose construction
• Utilizing the elastic clause to it’s fullest
• Stretching the interpretation to fit changing
times
• Strict Construction
• Literal interpretation of the document
• Ver Batim –word for word
• Example—2nd amendment
SECTION 9
Powers Denied to Congress
• Cannot deny a writ of Habeus corpus
• This is the right to know why you are being
detained
• Cannot pass ex-post facto laws
• Punishment for something that was legal
when you did it!
• No bills of attainder—punishment withjout a
legal trial!
Powers denied to the States
• No state may enter into a treaty
Review!
• “Rule of man, not of law” or rule by one
• Autocracy
• “Rule of law, not of man” or rule by the
people
• Democracy
• Rule by a few or a small group
• Oligarchy
• Rule by inheritance
• Monarchy
Review con’t
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A republic means to have elected officials
What are two ways you can “limil” a republic?
Who can vote
Who can run for office
Define popular sovereignty
“power to the people”
Review con’t
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Define delegated powers
Powers give to the federal government
What is an example of a delegated power?
Coin money, declare war, post office, punish
counterfeiters etc.
Define reserved powers
Powers “reserved” or saved for the states
What is an example?
Set age limits, licenses, public education
Review con’t
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Define concurrent power
Powers all levels can share
What is an example of a concurrent power?
Taxation, making laws
Describe /define a federal system of
government
• State and central share power with the federal
(central) being supreme
Review con’t
• Define/describe a confederate system of
government
• State and central share power with the state
being supreme
• What type of system do we use today?
• Federal!
• What were some of the problems unfer the
Articles of Confederation that caused this
change?
Review con’t
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No chief executive
No standing military
No common currency
No court to settle disputes between states
9/13 had to agree to any changes
No central mail service
No control of interstate trade
Review con’t