Daily Essential Questions
 What is the purpose of the legislative branch?
 How does bicameralism in Congress reflect the
principle of federalism?
“A chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern
the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and
love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or
partial considerations.”
- James Madison, The Federalist # 10 (1787)
Legislative At a Glance…
Congress


Legislative branch of the U.S. Government
Responsible for translating “public will”
into public policy in the form of laws
Legislative At a Glance
 They make the laws!
 Described in Article I
 “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a
Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate
and House of Representatives”
What does “Bicameral” mean?
 Bicameral simply means two houses. The House of Representatives
and the Senate collectively make up the Congress
A Bicameral Congress
Definition:
Power is shared between two houses
 Each house has similar but distinct powers
 Requirements for each house differ
A Bicameral Legislature
The House Wing
The Senate Wing
“In order to control the legislative authority, you must divide it.”
James Madison, Federalist No. 51
How will this set up protect Americans from tyranny?
The Well in the House Chamber
House Office Buildings
Senate Office Buildings
Virtual Tour of the Senate Chamber
House of Representatives
“LOWER HOUSE”
A nationwide census is given every ten years to determine what?
House of Representatives
Size: 435 members, based on state
population
 Seats are distributed among States on the basis
of their respective populations – but each state
is guaranteed at least one seat
 After every census (every 10 years), the Census
Bureau will determine how many seats each
state should have.
 Length of Term: 2 years (unlimited terms)
Census = # of seats per state
 A census is used to determine the amount of representation each
state will receive in the House of Representatives.
 Every 10 years, after the census is taken, Congress determines
how the seats in the House are to be apportioned, or distributed.
 If a state's population decreases from one census to the next, the
number of its representatives may be reduced.
 States whose populations grow may be entitled to more
representatives.
House of Representatives
 435 members of the House are chosen
by voters in 435 separate congressional
districts

Constituency: the people/interests an
elected official represents

Each member represents their
congressional district
House Member Qualifications
 25 years of age
 7 year citizen of the U.S.
 Live in State and District representing.
Florida
 27 districts
 Key Biscayne - 18th Congressional District
 Ileana
Ros - Lehtinen
18th District Florida
I am proud to represent Florida’s
18thCongressional District, a diverse area
which includes Miami, Little Havana,
Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Miami Beach,
Westchester and the Florida Keys.
I was born in Havana, Cuba on July 1952.
At the age of eight, my family and I were
forced to flee from the oppressive
communist regime of Fidel Castro. We
settled in Miami and put down permanent
roots in our community.
I attended Southside Elementary School in Little Havana, West Miami Junior High, and
Southwest High School. In the years following, I earned an Associate of Arts degree from
Miami-Dade Community College in 1972, Bachelors and Masters Degree in Education
from Florida International University in 1975 and 1985 respectively, and a Doctorate in
Education from the University of Miami in 2004. I consider education a lifelong journey.
Florida’s Congressional Districts
What are the qualifications for becoming a Representative?
The House of Representatives:
Requirements
Must live in
state and
district
Must be elected
by the majority
of people in
his/her district
650,000 people
on average
Must be 25
years or older
Must be a U.S.
citizen for at
least 7 years
Term begins on January 3
and last for 2 years.
One of 435 other members
of the House
Compare
to the
Senate
Who is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives?
Speaker of the House
 The Presiding officer of the House of Representatives is called
the “Speaker of the House”
 Currently the new Speaker of the House is John Boehner (R)
from Ohio
Non Voting Members of the House
1 representative each:
>>can participate in debate and on committees
>>cannot vote
Puerto Rico
The District of Columbia
American Samoa
Virgin Islands
Differences Between the House and Senate
The House
 Two year Term
 435 members
 Smaller constituencies
 Less personal staff
 Equal populations represented
 Less flexible rules
 Limited Debate
 Policy Specialists
 Less media coverage
 Less prestige
 Less reliance on staff
 More powerful committee leaders
 Very important committees
 Nongermane amendments (riders) not
allowed
 Important Rules Committee
 Some bills are not allowed to be
amended from the floor
The Senate
 Six year Term
 100 members
 Larger constituencies
 More personal staff
 States represented
 More flexible rules
 Extended Debate
 Policy generalists
 More media coverage
 More prestige
 More equal distribution of power
 20 major committees
 Nongermane amendments (riders)
allowed
 Filibuster allowed
Senate
“UPPER HOUSE”
Senate
 Size: 100 members, two from each State
 Length of Term: 6 years (unlimited terms)
Staggered terms - 1/3 of Senate is up for
re-election every 2 years
 Constituency: Senators represent their entire
state

Who is the presiding officer of the Senate?
 The presiding officer in the Senate is the Vice President.
 Currently the Vice President is Joe Biden (D) from Delaware
The Vice
President
Who runs the Senate if the Vice President isn’t there?
President Pro Temp
Patrick Leahy sworn in as Senate President
Pro Tempore - Posted by Ed O'Keefe on December 18, 2012 at 11:56 am
The United States Constitution states
that the Vice President of the United
States is the President of the Senate,
despite not being a senator, and that
the Senate must choose a president pro
tempore. By a long-standing tradition
which has been observed consistently
since the 81st Congress (January 1949
– January 1951), the president pro
tempore is the most senior senator in
the majority party.
What are the qualifications for becoming a Senator?
Senate Member Qualifications
 30 years of age
 Citizen of U.S. for at least 9 years
 Live in state he/she represents
Your Senators…
 Marco Rubio(R)
 Bill Nelson(D)
Florida’s Senators 2012
Marco Rubio – Rep. born and raised
in Miami from Cuban American
Family since 2010
http://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/
Bill Nelson – Dem. Bill Nelson
was elected to the U.S. Senate
in November 2000, after
serving six years as a member
of the Florida Cabinet.
Dear Mr. Raymond,
Thank you for writing me with your suggestions on how to reform Congress. These are important
issues and I appreciate hearing your thoughts.
I also have frustrations with the process in Washington and I appreciate you bringing me your
suggestions for how Congress can be reformed. When I ran for the U.S. Senate, I made a
commitment to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of government. Like you, I share your
passion for a fair and functioning government. To that end, I cosponsored S.J.Res. 2, introduced by
Senator David Vitter of Louisiana. If enacted, S.J.Res. 2 would limit the number of terms that a
member of Congress could serve, three terms in the House of Representatives and two terms in
the U.S. Senate. Additionally, this legislation would eliminate automatic pay increases for
members of Congress. I am hopeful that this commonsense legislation will be adopted and signed
into law. Please know that I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that
Congress is a more open, transparent institution. I also encourage you to continue to be vigilant
and to hold members of Congress accountable for their votes.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your United States Senator. I appreciate you offering your
opinion on this issue. If I can ever be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact
me.
Sincerely,
Marco Rubio
United States Senator
Cross-Comparison
Senate
House of Representatives
100 members
435 members
30 years old to serve
25 years old to serve
9 year U.S. citizen
7 year U.S. citizen
6 year term of office
2 year term of office
More prestige/name recognition
Less prestige/name recognition
2 / State regardless of size
-Marco Rubio (R)
-Bill Nelson (D)
Each represents 680,000 people
-27 districts in FL
-18th Congressional District Rep:
Iliana
Responsibilities:
- Try elected officials when they
have been impeached
- Approve appointed officials:
judges, cabinet members,
ambassadors
- Approve treaties
Responsibilities:
- Can bring charges against
elected officials (impeachment)
- Revenue bills must begin in the
house
Review
Representation for each state in the House of Representatives is determined by
…?.
The US
Census
End of Course Question
How does the U. S. Constitution provide for stability and
continuity in the Senate?
a. By requiring members to be 30 years of age or older
b. Reelections every two years for one-third of the Senate
c. By requiring members to be legal citizens
d. Giving each state two senators
End of Course Question
One of the way that the Founding Fathers ensured the House
would have the best representation was to include which of
the following in the United States Constitution?
a. By requiring members to be 25 years of age or older
b. Requiring reelection of members every two years
c. Requiring all members to be lawyers
d. Requiring members to be part of special committees
End of Course Question
How many members serve in the House of Representatives?
a. 26
b. 100
c. 65
d. 435
End of Course Question
How many members serve in the Senate
a. 26
b. 100
c. 65
d. 435
End of Course Question
If the President Pro Tempore is presiding in the Senate,
which of the following is not present?
a. president
b. Majority leader
c. Vice President
d. Floor leader
End of Course Question
11. According to Article V, both Congress and the states
must participate in the amendment process.
This requirement reflects which of the following ideas
about the distribution of power in America?
a.
separation of church and government
b.
separation of the three branches of government
c.
the importance of federalism
d.
the importance of the state powers
End of Course Question
If the President Pro Tempore is presiding in the Senate,
which of the following is not present?
a. president
b. Majority leader
c. Vice President
d. Floor leader
End of Course Question
What is the difference between the Speaker of the House and the
president pro tempore?
a. The Speaker of the House is in charge of the Senate and House
when they are in session.
b. The president pro tempore is in charge of the Senate and the
House when they are in session.
c. The Speaker of the House is just in charge of the House. The
president pro tempore is just in charge of the Senate.
d. The Speaker of the House is only in charge when the vice
president is not president.
End of Course Question
How is the Speaker of the House selected?
a.
selected by members of their party
b.
selected by seniority
c.
selected by the constituents
d.
selected by the House of Representatives
End of Course Question
Which of the following do the whips play an important role of
ensuring in Congress?
a.
Party members are committed to voting along party lines.
b.
The speaker has support to maintain their position.
c.
Editing legislation through committees.
d.
Party members are supporting the president.
End of Course Question
Why is the seniority system in Congress an effective way to select
leaders and assign committee members?
a.
it offers new members the ability to learn from experienced
members
b.
new members are not capable of holding leadership positions
c.
they are better leaders
d.
experienced leaders make the best decisions
End of Course Question
Why are joint committees beneficial to the law making process?
a.
it aligns members from both houses so that they can create the
details of bills together
b.
it fosters and builds bipartisan relationships
c.
it allows the speaker and the president pro tempore to work
together
d.
it assists whips in promoting bills
End of Course Question
Why is the seniority system in Congress an effective way to select
leaders and assign committee members?
a.
it offers new members the ability to learn from experienced
members
b.
new members are not capable of holding leadership positions
c.
they are better leaders
d.
experienced leaders make the best decisions
Senate Trivia
 How many Senators went on to become President?
15
• How many members of the Senate have been convicted
of crimes?
4
o What was the salary of a Senator in 1789? What is the
current salary?
o $6 per day
aprox $168,000
• How many women serve in the 2013 US Senate?
20
Senate Trivia
 How many U.S. Senators have participated in the Olympic games?
3
How many U.S. Senators are foreign born? From how many
different countries have they come?
 58
 18 different countries
What is the greatest length of time served thus far by any U.S.
Senator?
 48 years
What was the age of the oldest Senator while still in office?
 100
How many African Americans have served in the U.S. Senate?
 6





Congress is older, better educated, more white, more
male, and richer than the rest of the United States…
•There are 43 African-Americans in the
House.
•There are 26 Hispanic-Americans in the
House.
•Ten Members of the House and Senate are
of Asian or Native Hawaiian ancestry.
•There is one Native American in the House.
•The total number of women in Congress is
95. There are 17 in the Senate and 78 in the
House, three of whom are non-voting
delegates from Washington, DC, Guam, and
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What do they both enjoy?
Perks of the Office
Office Expenses:
$127,000
(House)
$474,000
(Senate)
Free Office Space
in D.C.
Free Office Space
in State
Staff Salaries:
$632,000 (House)
Free Parking on
the Hill
Inexpensive
Health Care
$2 million
(Senate)
Several Free
Trips Home
Salary: $165,200/year
Franking Privilege: mailing “official business” (not campaign business)
for free.
Full Access to the Congressional Gym and Spa
Immunity from Lawsuits for anything you say when in Congress
Discussion Questions
 What relationship exists between the Census Bureau and
the distribution of seats among the States in the House of
Representatives?
 Look at the cross-comparison chart we just completed –
what evidence suggests that the House of
Representatives was intended to reflect the interests of
the people, rather than the States?
 Recall the Connecticut Compromise between the small
and large states during the writing of the U.S.
Constitution…how does the cross-comparison chart
reflect that compromise between small and large states?
Question of the Day
WHAT CONGRESS DOES, HAS AN
EFFECT ON YOU, QUITE DIRECTLY.
Think for a moment…What types
of legislation has congress
established that affects you?
House of Representatives
 Gerrymandering
 Odd
shaped districts that have been drawn to
the advantage of the political party that controls
one legislature
 Goal is to create as many “safe” districts as
possible—districts almost certain to be won by
the party in control of the line-drawing process.
Did You Know?
 Gerrymandering takes its
name from Governor Elbridge
Gerry of Massachusetts, who
in 1812 drew the State’s
legislative districts to favor
the Democratic-Republicans.
It is said that the painter
Gilbert Stuart added a head,
wings, and claws on a district
map handing over the desk of
a Federalist newspaper editor.
“That,” he said, “will do for a
salamander.” “Better say
Gerrymander,” growled the
editor.
Big
Picture
- The 435 members of the House represent
districts of roughly equal populations but
very different characteristics.
- House members can serve an unlimited
number of 2 year terms.
- The framers expected the House, with its
larger size and more frequent elections, to
act as the “people’s body”. It was meant to
reflect the more volatile, democratic
tendencies in American society.
Daily Enduring Understanding
From the instant your alarm clock rings
to the moment you go to sleep at night,
the work of Congress has a significant
impact on your daily life…
An Ordinary Day…
Expressed Powers of Congress
So what happens?
The creditor is entitled to payment in some form. A person
assets will be seized and the sold. The money will given to
the creditors.
The amount of debt owed by the debtor is wiped clean,
once the assets are seized.
The Problem: The debtor will have a hard time
getting any loans or credit from any bank or
business, making it hard to buy major things.
Commerce Power
 The power of Congress to regulate interstate and foreign
trade

Sets how much should be charged for imports
 Not in Articles of Confederation
 1780s – States fought over trade barriers and laws
 Civil Rights Act of 1964: prohibits discrimination “in access
to” or “service in” hotels, motels, theaters, and other public
accommodations on grounds of race, color, etc…
 Power is as vital as the power to tax
 Many government decisions have been backed up on the power of
the Federal government to regulate commerce between the states
Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress will establish a uniform Rule of
Naturalization…”
Naturalization: Process of becoming a
US citizen
Natural born = born in US territory or on US
owned property, or to a US citizen.
Naturalized = citizenship gained from another
country.
Expressed Powers of Congress
The Basic Process:
Must live in the US for 5 years (half must be spent in US)
Must be 18 years old
Must speak basic English
Must pass a basic civic’s exam
Must pledge an oath of loyalty
to the US
(Can not have a criminal record)
Expatriation: citizenship can be revoked only for naturalized
citizens
Expressed Powers of Congress
“Congress shall promote the Progress of Science and
useful Arts by securing…exclusive Right to their
respective writings and Discoveries.”
CopyrightExclusive right to an author for the publication and
resale of their work.
Length: Good for life plus 70 years
Foreign Relations Powers
 Shares power with Commander in Chief
 Congress can:
 Declare War
 Raise and support military
 Provide and maintain a navy
 War Powers Resolution of 1973
 Restrict the use of American forces in combat areas
where a state of war does not exist.
Expressed Powers of Congress
Foreign relationssuggest foreign policy, approve treaties
War Powersdeclare war, raise and maintain an army and navy, call
up militias (Nat’l Guard), restrict non-war use of troops
Expressed Powers of Congress
PatentExclusive right to a person to manufacture, use, or sell
any new invention.
Length: 20 years
Intellectual property covered:
Books, magazines, paintings, movies, design patents, photos,
trademarks, trade secrets, etc..,
Expressed Powers of Congress
Internet Resources
HTTP://WWW.CENTERONCONGRESS.ORG/LEA
RN_ABOUT/LAUNCHER.HTM
HTTP://WWW.CENTERONCONGRESS.ORG/MO
DULES/LEGISLATIVE_PROCESS/MAIN.HTM
FYI
Additional notes to add to your
graphic organizer
•
As many as 10,000 measures are introduced in the
House and Senate during a term of Congress.
•Fewer than 10% ever become law
•
“Bipartisanship” : support for a bill from members of
both the Democrats and Republicans.