UNIT IV:
LEGISLATIVE
BRANCH
Definition:
Prorogue
Apportioned
Reapportioned
Gerrymandering
Single-Member District
Constituencies
(constituents)
Continuous Body
Franking Privilege
Picture/Example:
NOTES-Unit IV: Legislative Branch
1. Purpose of legislative branch: __________________________________________
2. All of the instructions for Congress (the legislative branch) can be found in Article ______ of the United States
Constitution; it is the _____________ section of the Constitution.
3. Fill out the chart below:
Senate
Size
Who Qualifies?
They represent…
Special Duties
Checks & Balances
Role in Lawmaking
The House of Representatives
4. Most members serve on ______________________________________________________________________
5. Incumbents (politicians in office)
a. In the House, incumbents _______________________________________________________________
b. In the Senate, incumbents ______________________________________________________________
6. Advantages of being an incumbent
a. Advertising = visibility = ________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
b. Credit claiming/blaming:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
i. Pork barrel: ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
ii. Casework: ____________________________________________________________________
iii. Riders: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
c.
Position-taking: they already have a determined position on subjects so their constituents know what they
are about/what they stand for
7. Roles of Congressmen (how do they vote?)
a. _________________________: vote based on constituents opinion
b. _________________________: vote based on personal opinion
c.
_________________________: voted based on party lines
d. _________________________: vote in a balanced fashion taking all things into account
8. States have two senators, regardless of population; however, in the House of Representatives, population
determines representation. How do we determine this?
a. Every ________________ there is a census. This tells up the population of jurisdiction.
b. _________________________ and ________________________ can occur, which can give a state
more (or less) representation.
c.
New boundaries drawn must be drawn to comply with Supreme Court rulings and to make sure districts
are fairly equal in size.
d. Gerrymandering:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
9. Organization of Congress
a. House:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
b. Senate:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
10. Congressional Leadership
a. Speaker of the House (currently John Boehner, Republican):
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
b. President of the Senate = ___________________________(Joe Biden, Democrat)
i. But, the _____________________________________ is honorary substitute for Vice President
and ___________________________________ hold real power as the active leader.
c.
Job of majority leader:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
d. Job of majority whip:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________