government chapter 5 ppt - cloud object storage | store & … · 2013-06-07government chapter 5...

Presentation Plus! United States Government: Democracy in ActionCopyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Send all inquiries to:

GLENCOE DIVISIONGlencoe/McGraw-Hill8787 Orion PlaceColumbus, Ohio 43240

Chapter Focus Section 1 Congressional

Membership Section 2 The House of

Representatives Section 3 The Senate Section 4 Congressional Committees Section 5 Staff and Support AgenciesChapter Assessment

Click on a hyperlink to go to the corresponding content area. Press the ESC (escape) key at any time to exit the presentation.

Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information.

• The House of Representatives Describe the rules and procedures used in the House and explain the House’s role in the lawmaking process. (Section 2)

• The Senate Contrast the Senate’s leadership and role in the lawmaking process with that of the House of Representatives. (Section 3)

• Congressional Committees Identify kinds of congressional committees and principles by which members of Congress serve on these committees. (Section 4)

• Staff and Support Agencies Explain how staff members and support agencies participate in the legislative process. (Section 5)

• Congressional Membership Describe the structure of Congress and list the qualifications for congressional membership. (Section 1)

Chapter Objectives

• Section 1 Political Processes


• Section 2 Growth of Democracy • Section 3 Growth of Democracy • Section 4 Political Processes

• Section 5 Political Processes

Chapter Concepts

The next slide is a political cartoon that ran shortly after the Republicans gained control of Congress in 1994.

Making It Relevant Transparency

Making It Relevant 5

Click the mouse button to return to the Contents.End of Chapter Focus

Find Out • How does apportionment of membership in the House of Representatives in districts provide representation to local voters?

• What are the key common characteristics of members of Congress?

Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Additional lecture notes appear on the following slides.

Key Terms bicameral legislature, session, census, reapportionment, redistrict, gerrymander, at-large, censure, incumbent

Congressional Membership

Section Objective Describe the structure of Congress and list the qualifications for congressional membership.

Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Additional lecture notes appear on the following slides.

Understanding Concepts Political Processes How well do you think members of Congress represent the people who have delegated legal authority to them?

Congressional Membership

• The United States Congress is a bicameral legislature: it is made up of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Introduction• The Founders intended that the legislative branch have

more power than any other branch of government.



• Today Congress plays a central role in formulating national policies.

Introduction (cont.) • Eighteenth-century colonial legislatures and Congress followed

the English Parliament with its upper house and a lower house.


• Each term of Congress is divided into two sessions. A session lasts one year and includes breaks for holidays and vacations.

• Congress remains in session until its members vote to adjourn.

Congressional Sessions • Each term of Congress starts on January 3 of

odd-numbered years and lasts for two years.


• The number of House seats is apportioned, or divided, among the states on the basis of population.

Membership of the House • With its 435 members, the House of

Representatives is the larger body of Congress.


– at least 25 years old. – citizens of the United States for at least 7 years. – legal residents of the state that elects them.

Qualifications• According to the Constitution,

representatives must be…


• Elections are held in November of even-numbered years, meaning that all 435 members of the House must run for reelection every 2 years.

• Because more than 90 percent of all representatives are reelected, there is great continuity in the House.

Term of Office• Members of the House of Representatives

are elected for 2-year terms.


• The population of each state determines the new number of representatives to which each is entitled–a process called reapportionment.

• States whose population decreases may lose representatives, while states whose population grows may be entitled to more representatives.

Representation and Reapportionment• In order to assign representation according to population, the

Census Bureau takes a national census, or population count, every 10 years.


• The Reapportionment Act of 1929 limited the House to 435 representatives. • Now each census determines how those 435 seats will be divided among the 50

states.

(cont.)• Originally the House had only 64 members. As the population grew, the number of representatives increased. By 1911, there were 435 members.

Representation and Reapportionment


• The process of setting up new district lines after reapportionment has been completed is called redistricting.

Congressional Redistricting • After the states find out their reapportioned representation, each

state legislature sets up congressional districts–one for each representative.


• In these states a person’s vote in the largest congressional districts had only half the value of a person’s vote in the smallest districts.

Congressional Redistricting (cont.) • Over the years, some state legislatures have abused redistricting

power in two ways–by creating congressional districts of very unequal populations and by gerrymandering.

Redistricting Cases • During the 1960s, the Supreme Court addressed

reapportionment issues in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.

– Tennessee: In Baker v. Carr (1962), the Supreme Court held that federal courts could decide conflicts over drawing district boundaries.

Click the blue hyperlink to explore the Supreme Court case.

– Georgia: In Wesberry v. Sanders (1964), the Court ruled that the Constitution clearly intended that a vote in one congressional district was to be worth as much as a vote in another district.

Redistricting Cases (cont.) – Alabama: In Reynolds v. Sims (1964), the Court held that the equal

protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment required that seats in both houses of the state legislature be apportioned on a population basis.

Click a blue hyperlink to explore the Supreme Court case.


• In several cases, the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, ruled against district lines for which race was “the predominant factor.”

• Following the census of 1990, several states drew new district lines to increase the power of ethnic or racial minorities.

Redistricting Cases (cont.)


• Gerrymandering means that the political party controlling the state government draws a district’s boundaries to gain an advantage in elections.

• The term gerrymandering can be traced to Elbridge Gerry, an early Democratic-Republican governor of Massachusetts.

Gerrymandering • Historically, state legislatures have abused their power to

divide the state into congressional districts by gerrymandering.


• “Packing” and “cracking” are ways to gerrymander.

Gerrymandering (cont.) • Gerry had signed a redistricting plan with an irregular district

shaped like a salamander. A newspaper published it as a cartoon and labeled it a “Gerrymander.”

– Packing a district means drawing the lines so they include as many of the opposing party’s voters as possible.

– Cracking means dividing an opponent’s voters into other districts.


Gerrymandering (cont.)• The Supreme Court has ruled that congressional districts must be

compact and contiguous, or physically adjoining, and this has helped cut down on some gerrymandering.

Membership of the Senate• Today’s Senate includes 100 members– 2

from each of the 50 states.


– at least 30 years old. – citizens of the United States for 9 years before election. – legal residents of the state they represent.

Qualifications• The Constitution provides that senators must

be…

• All voters of each state elect senators at-large, or statewide.


• The Constitution provided for continuity in the Senate by giving senators 6-year terms and by providing that only one-third of the senators would run for reelection every 2 years.

Term of Office • Elections for the Senate are held in

November of even-numbered years.


• The Twenty-seventh Amendment, ratified in 1992, requires that any new congressional salary increase will take effect after an intervening election.

Salary and Benefits• The Senate and the House set their own salaries. Over the

years, Congress has voted itself periodic salary increases.


– stationery – postage for official business (called the “franking privilege”) – a medical clinic – a gymnasium – travel allowances – pensions of $150,000 or more a year for life upon retirement

Salary and Benefits (cont.) • In addition to their salaries, members of Congress enjoy a

number of benefits and resources. These include:

– They are free from arrest “in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace,” when they are attending or on their way to or from Congress.

– They cannot be sued for anything they say on the House or Senate floor.

Privileges of Members• The Constitution provides members of

Congress certain privileges:

• In Hutchinson v. Proxmire (1979), the Supreme Court ruled that members of Congress may be sued for libel for statements that they make in news releases or newsletters.


• Each house may refuse to seat an elected member by a majority vote. • This power of exclusion was later defined by the Supreme Court in the

case of Powell v. McCormack (1969).

Privileges of Members (cont.) • The Senate and the House both may judge members’

qualifications and decide whether to seat them.



• Members who are guilty of lesser offenses may be censured. Censure is a vote of formal disapproval of a member’s actions.

Privileges of Members (cont.)• Each house may also “punish its own members for disorderly

behavior” by a majority vote and expel a legislator by a two-thirds vote.


• In addition, there are 4 nonvoting delegates in the House–1 each from the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands–and 1 resident commissioner from Puerto Rico.

The Members of Congress• Congress includes 535 voting members–

100 senators and 435 representatives.


• Senators and representatives typically have been white, middle-aged males. • Slowly Congress has begun to reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of

the general population.

Characteristics• Nearly half the members of Congress are lawyers. A large number

of members also come from business, banking, and education.

• Between 1945 and 1990, about 90 percent of all incumbents, or those members already in office, won reelection.


• Why are incumbents so successful?

Reelection to Congress

– Incumbents find it easier to raise campaign funds. Political action committees (PACs) provide substantial campaign funds, usually supporting incumbents. – Incumbents may represent districts that have been gerrymandered in their party’s favor. – Incumbents are better known to voters. – Incumbents use their position and office staff to help solve problems for voters.


• In 1992 the voters chose 121 new members of Congress.

Reelection to Congress (cont.) • In the 1990s a wave of criticism against the power that seemed to

accompany lengthy terms in office boosted the chances of challengers in congressional races.


• In 1996, however, incumbents returned to their winning ways. More than 90 percent won reelection.

The Voters Speak• In 1994 the tide against incumbents resulted in a big turnabout in

Congress, placing Republicans in control of both houses for the first time since 1954.

How does apportionment of membership in the House of Representatives in districts provide representation to local voters?

Members are likely to be aware of local needs and wishes.

Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.

What are the key common characteristics of members of Congress?

Nearly half of the members of Congress are lawyers. A large number of members come from business, banking, and education. The typical member of Congress was white, middle-aged, and male, but recent elections have resulted in a more diverse representation.


Click the mouse button to return to the Contents slide.End of Section 1

Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information.Additional lecture notes appear on the following slides.

Find Out • Why are committees more important in the House than they are in the Senate?

• Why is the Rules Committee one of the most powerful committees in the House?

Key Terms constituents, caucus, majority leader, whips, bill, calendars, quorum

The House of Representatives


The House of Representatives

Section Objective Describe the rules and procedures used in the House and explain the House’s role in the lawmaking process.

Understanding Concepts Growth of Democracy Why does the majority party often get the credit or blame for everything Congress does?


• Rules are necessary to help ensure fairness, to enable the legislature to conduct business, and to protect the minority.

Introduction • Political division and debate is unavoidable

in democratic government.


• Complex rules and a structure of leadership enable Congress to carry out its lawmaking duties.

Rules for Lawmaking • The main task of each house is the same–to

make laws.


• The complex rules in the House are geared toward moving legislation quickly once it reaches the floor.

Complex Rules • Each chamber has scores of precedents based on past

rulings that serve as a guide to conducting business.


• In the committees, representatives have more influence than on the House floor, and they have the time to study and shape bills.

Committee Work • Committees do most of the work in

Congress.


• Because House members are elected from districts, much of their time is devoted to serving the interests of their constituents.

Committee Work (cont.) • In addition, representatives tend to specialize in a few issues that

are important to their constituents–the people in the districts they represent.


• In both the House and Senate, the Republicans sit on the right side of the chamber, the Democrats on the left.

• In each house the majority party…

Importance of Party Affiliation• Many procedures in Congress are organized

around the political party affiliation of members.

– selects the leaders of that body. – controls the flow of legislative work. – appoints committee chairs.


• Many Democrats supported the reforms because they were part of a trend begun when the Democrats were the majority party.

Importance of Party Affiliation (cont.) • The Republican majority began sweeping

changes of House rules in 1995.


• What are the responsibilities of the House leaders?

House Leadership • Organized leadership coordinates the work

of the House of Representatives.

– organizing and unifying party members – scheduling the work of the House – making certain that lawmakers are present for key floor votes – distributing and collecting information – keeping the House in touch with the president – influencing lawmakers to support the policies of their political party


• A caucus, or closed meeting, of the majority party chooses the House Speaker.

• At the start of each session of Congress, the entire House membership then approves the choice.

The Speaker of the House• The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer

of the House and its most powerful leader.


The Speaker of the House (cont.) • Powers of the Speaker include:

– presiding over the House sessions and influencing proceedings by deciding which members to recognize first. – appointing the members of some committees. – scheduling bills for action. – referring bills to the proper House committee.


The Speaker of the House (cont.)

• Today Speakers rely as much on persuasion as on their formal powers to exercise influence.

• The Speaker of the House follows the vice president in the line of succession to the presidency.

• The Speaker’s top assistant is the majority leader.


• The majority leader’s job is to…

House Floor Leaders

– help plan the party’s legislative program. – steer important bills through the House. – make sure the chairpersons of the many committees finish work on bills important to the party.

• The majority leader has help from the majority and deputy whips, who serve as assistant floor leaders in the House.


• The majority whip’s job is to…

House Floor Leaders (cont.)

– watch how majority-party members intend to vote on bills. – persuade them to vote as the party wishes. – see that party members are present to vote.

• The minority party in the House also elects its own leaders who have similar responsibilities.


• Usually the House starts its floor sessions at noon or earlier. It is normally in session from Monday through Friday.

Lawmaking in the House• To a visitor, the floor of the House of Representatives may seem

totally disorganized. Representatives walk in and out of the chamber or talk in small groups.


• After a bill is introduced, the Speaker of the House sends it to the appropriate committee for study, discussion, and review.

• Bills that survive the committee process are put on one of the House calendars, or lists of bills up for consideration. • The House has several calendars, each used for a different kind of bill.

How House Bills Are Scheduled • All laws start as bills. A proposed law is called a bill until

both houses of Congress pass it and the president signs it.


– bills dealing with money issues – major nonmoney bills – bills that a majority of House members have petitioned to force out of committee – bills that have unanimous consent to debate out of regular order – bills to be discharged out of committee by petition

How House Bills Are Scheduled (cont.)

Union CalendarHouse CalendarPrivate Calendar

Consent Calendar

Discharge Calendar

Calendar Type of Bill


• After a committee has considered and approved a major bill, the bill usually goes to the Rules Committee.

The House Rules Committee • The Rules Committee serves as the “traffic officer” in the

House, helping to direct the flow of major legislation.


• Because the Rules Committee has the power to decide how and when legislation will be considered by the House, it has often been the focus of political battles.

The House Rules Committee (cont.) • The Rules Committee can move bills ahead quickly,

hold them back, or stop them completely.


• The chairperson of the committee that sent the bill to the Rules Committee may ask for it to be moved ahead of other bills and to be sent to the House floor.

• If the Rules Committee grants the request, the bill moves ahead.

Function of the Rules Committee • As major bills come out of committee, they are entered on either the

Union Calendar or the House Calendar in the order received by the Rules Committee.


• The Rules Committee often delays or blocks bills that representatives and House leaders do not want to come to a vote on the floor.

Other Purposes of the Rules Committee

• The Rules Committee also settles disputes among other House committees.


• For a regular session, a quorum consists of the majority of the House–218 members. • When the House meets to debate and amend legislation, it may often sit as a Committee of the Whole. • The Committee of the Whole cannot pass a bill. Instead, it reports changes back to the full House, which

has the authority to pass or reject the bill.

A Quorum for Business • A quorum is the minimum number of members who must

be present to permit a legislative body to take official action.

Why are committees more important in the House than they are in the Senate?

Committees are more important in the House because it has so many members. Representatives do not have as much time to express their positions on the floor.


Why is the Rules Committee one of the most powerful committees in the House?

The Rules Committee is powerful because it decides when and how legislation will be considered by the full House.



Find Out • Why does the Senate have fewer rules and a less formal atmosphere than the House?

• Why does the Senate usually take longer than the House to pass a bill?

Key Terms president pro tempore, filibuster, cloture

The Senate


The Senate

Section Objective Contrast the Senate’s leadership and role in the lawmaking process with that of the House of Representatives.

Understanding Concepts Growth of Democracy Why do floor debates in the Senate often include powerful speeches charged with emotion?

• Senators deal with many issues on the floor, where there is plenty of time for debate.

Introduction • The Senate is a deliberative body, moving

legislation more slowly than the House.



• Usually only a few senators attend sessions.

The Senate at Work • The Senate chamber, with only 100 desks, is

smaller than the House chamber.


• Senate rules are designed to make certain that all senators have maximum freedom to express their ideas.

• Senators may debate a proposal on and off for months before taking action on an issue.

Informal Atmosphere • In the Senate, the rules are more flexible,

and there is a more informal atmosphere.


• The vice president presides in the Senate but may not vote except to break a tie. • Because Senate rules are more flexible, party leaders in the Senate may not have

as much influence over other senators as their counterparts in the House.

Senate Leaders• Leadership in the Senate closely parallels

leadership in the House.


• The vice president may recognize members and put questions to a vote, but he may not take part in Senate debates.

• The vice president may cast a vote in the Senate, but only in the event of a tie.

The Vice President• As presiding officer of the Senate, the vice president does not

have the same role and power as the Speaker of the House.


• The term pro tempore means “for the time being.” • The Senate elects this leader, who is from the majority party and

is usually its most senior member.

The Vice President (cont.) • In the absence of the vice president, the

president pro tempore presides.


• Elected by the members of their political parties, the majority and minority leaders in the Senate are party officials rather than official Senate officers.

• The majority leader’s main job is to steer the party’s bills through the Senate.

Majority and Minority Floor Leaders• The majority and minority leaders are the

most important officers in the Senate.


• As in the House, whips and assistant whips assist the majority and minority leaders of the Senate by making sure that legislators are present for key votes.

Majority and Minority Floor Leaders• The minority leader develops criticisms of the majority

party’s bills and tries to keep senators in the minority party working together.

(cont.)


• The Senate has no rules committee to move legislation along. • Instead, Senate leaders consult with each other to control the

flow of bills to committees and to the floor for debate and vote.

How Senate Bills Are Scheduled • Any member of the Senate may introduce a

bill.


• The Senate brings bills to the floor by unanimous consent.

How Senate Bills Are Scheduled (cont.) • The Senate has two calendars:

– The Calendar of General Orders lists all the bills that the Senate will consider. – The Executive Calendar schedules treaties and nominations.


• To filibuster means to keep talking until a majority of the Senate either abandons the bill or agrees to modify its most controversial provisions.

• A filibuster by a group of senators could go on for weeks or even months.

The Filibuster • Because the Senate usually allows unlimited debate on a bill, one

way for senators to defeat a bill they oppose is to filibuster against it.


• The filibuster is not as strong a weapon as it used to be because the Senate now has a two-track procedural system.

The Filibuster (cont.) • A filibuster can be stopped when three-fifths of the Senate (60

members) votes for cloture–a procedure that allows each senator to speak only 1 hour on a bill under debate.


• Republicans sit on the right side of the chamber, while Democrats sit on the left. The majority party controls the flow of legislative work.

Politics • As in the House, Senate procedures are organized

around the members’ party affiliations.

Why does the Senate have fewer rules and a less formal atmosphere than the House?

The rules in the Senate are designed to make certain that all senators have maximum freedom to express their ideas.


Why does the Senate usually take longer than the House to pass a bill?

The Senate allows unlimited debate on proposed legislation.



Find Out • Why are several different kinds of committees necessary in the House and Senate?

• Why are committee chairpersons considered the most powerful members of Congress?

Key Terms standing committee, subcommittee, select committee, joint committee, conference committee, seniority system

Congressional Committees


Congressional Committees

Section Objective Identify kinds of congressional committees and principles by which members of Congress serve on these committees.

Understanding Concepts Political Processes Why have committees become the power centers in Congress?

Introduction• Much of the detailed day-to-day work of considering proposed

legislation takes place in committees that meet in congressional offices.



Purposes of Committees• Committees serve several important

purposes: – They allow members of Congress to divide their work among many smaller groups. Lawmakers can become specialists on the issues their committees consider. – Committees select, from the huge number of bills introduced in each Congress, those few that are to receive further consideration. – Committees help the public learn about key problems and issues facing the nation.


Kinds of Committees• Congress has four basic kinds of

committees: – standing committees – select committees – joint committees – conference committees


• Because the majority party in each house controls the standing committees, it selects a chairperson for each from among its party members.

Standing Committees • Committees that oversee bills dealing with certain kinds of issues are

called standing committees because they continue from one Congress to the next.


• However, the party in power in the House will often have a super majority on the most important committees.

Standing Committees (cont.) • Party membership on committees is usually divided in

direct proportion to each party’s strength in each house.


• Each subcommittee specializes in a subcategory of its standing committee’s responsibility.

• Subcommittees, like standing committees, usually continue from one Congress to the next.

Subcommittees • Nearly all standing committees have several

subcommittees.


• Select committees were usually set up to last for no more than one term of Congress.

• In practice, however, select committees may be renewed and continue to meet for several terms of Congress.

Select Committees • From time to time, each house has created temporary committees

called select committees to study one specific issue and report their findings to the Senate or the House.


• In theory, joint committees coordinate the work of the two houses of Congress. In practice, lawmakers usually limit joint committees to handling routine matters.

• Joint committees do not have the authority to deal directly with bills or to propose legislation to Congress.

Joint Committees • Made up of members from both the House and the Senate,

joint committees may be either temporary or permanent.


• A conference committee is a temporary committee set up when the House and Senate have passed different versions of the same bill.

Conference Committees• No bill can be sent from Congress to the president

until both houses have passed it in identical form.


• When the conference committee’s report–the compromise bill it has finally worked out–reaches the floor of each house, it must be considered as a whole.

Conference Committees (cont.) • The job of the conference committee is to resolve the

differences between the two versions of the bill.


• Assignment to the right committees can help strengthen a member’s career in several ways:

Choosing Committee Members • Assigning members to congressional committees is an

extremely important decision in the organization of Congress.

– Membership on some committees can increase a lawmaker’s chances for reelection. – Membership on some committees can mean the lawmaker will be able to influence national policy making.


• In the House the key committees are Rules, Ways and Means, and Appropriations. • In the Senate the most prestigious committees are Foreign Relations, Finance, and

Appropriations.

Choosing Committee Members (cont.) – Some committees enable a member to exert influence over other lawmakers

because they deal with matters important to everyone in Congress.


• Each member may only serve on a limited number of standing committees or subcommittees.

Assignment to Committees• In both the House and Senate, the political parties

assign members to the standing committees.


The Committee Chairperson’s Role • Along with party leaders, the chairpersons of standing

committees are the most powerful members of Congress:

– They determine when their committees will meet, which bills they will consider, and for how long. – They decide when hearings will be held and which witnesses will be called to testify for or against a bill. – They may hire committee staff members and control the committee budget. – They manage the floor debates that take place on the bills that come from their committees.


The Committee Chairperson’s Role• The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970

limited the power of chairpersons somewhat by…

(cont.)

– allowing a majority of the committee members to call meetings without the chairperson’s approval. – stating that committee members who disagree with the chairperson must have time to present their views. – requiring that reasonable notice be given for all committee hearings.


• The seniority system gave the member of the political party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee.

• Criticism of the seniority system has resulted in several changes, including limits on how long chairpersons can hold their positions.

The Seniority System• The unwritten rule of seniority traditionally

has guided the selection of chairpersons.

Why are several different kinds of committees necessary in the House and Senate?

Committees help ease the workload in considering bills.


Why are committee chairpersons considered the most powerful members of Congress?

Committee chairpersons decide when committees will meet, which bills will be considered, when hearings are held; and they manage floor debates.



Find Out • Why do members of Congress have large personal and committee staffs?

• How could a committee staffer have more influence than a member of Congress over a proposed bill?

Key Terms personal staff, committee staff, administrative assistant, legislative assistant, caseworker

Staff and Support Agencies


Staff and Support Agencies

Section Objective Explain how staff members and support agencies participate in the legislative process.

Understanding Concepts Political Processes How do staffs and support agencies help members of Congress carry out their many responsibilities?

Introduction• The work of Congress is so massive and complicated that

lawmakers need trained staffs to help them do their work effectively.



Congressional Staff Role• Lawmakers rely on their staffs to…

– help them handle the workload of Congress. – communicate with voters. – run committee hearings and floor sessions. – draft new bills. – write committee reports. – attend committee meetings. – help members get reelected. – help raise funds for political campaigns. – meet with lobbyists and visitors from home.


• After the Legislative Reorganization Act in 1946, the number of personal staff members went from 2,000 in 1947 to more than 11,500 in 1990.

Congressional Staff Growth • Congress has not always relied on staff to accomplish its work. For

almost 100 years, senators and representatives had no personal aides.


• Also, the members of Congress needed a large office staff to deal with the many requests from constituents.

Congressional Staff Growth (cont.) • Congressional staffs grew because lawmakers could not be experts

on all the issues that came before their committees or upon which they voted in Congress.


• Senators receive a yearly budget to operate their offices and to pay staff salaries. • Each member of the House has an allowance to pay for a personal staff that includes

administrative assistants, legislative assistants, and caseworkers.

Personal Staff• Congress includes two types of staffs:

– Personal staff members work directly for individual senators and representatives. – Committee staff members work for the many House and Senate committees.


Administrative Assistants• Administative assistants…

– run the lawmaker’s office. – supervise the lawmaker’s schedule. – give advice on political matters. – deal with influential people from the lawmaker’s congressional district or state.


Legislative Assistants• Legislative assistants…

– make certain that the lawmaker is well informed about the many bills with which she or he must deal. – do research, draft bills, and study bills currently in Congress. – write speeches and articles for the lawmaker. – assist the lawmaker in committee meetings and attend committee meetings when the lawmaker cannot be present. – keep track of the work taking place on the floor of Congress, as well as bills that are in committee.


Caseworkers• Caseworkers…

– handle the many requests for help from people in a lawmaker’s state or congressional district. – usually staff the home district offices of the lawmaker.


• Committee staffers draft bills, study issues, collect information, plan committee hearings, write memos, and prepare committee reports.

• Some senior committee staff members are experts in the area their committee covers.

Committee Staff • Every committee and subcommittee in Congress has

staff members who work for that committee.


• Others disagree, saying that the staff really collects information and develops alternative courses of action for the lawmakers.

Too Much Power? • The people do not elect congressional staffers, and some

lawmakers believe staffers have too much power.


• Some of the services these agencies provide are also available to the other branches of government and to private citizens.

• Congress has created four important support agencies: the Library of Congress, the Congressional Budget Office, the General Accounting Office, and the Government Printing Office.

Support Agencies • Several agencies that are part of the legislative branch

provide services that help Congress carry out its powers.


The Library of Congress • The Library of Congress…

– was created in 1800 to “purchase such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress.” – is one of the largest libraries in the world with more than 100 million items. – is the administrator of the copyright law. – has a Congressional Research Service (CRS) that answers thousands of requests for information from lawmakers, congressional staff, and committees.


• The CBO counterbalances the president’s elaborate budget-making organization, the Office of Management and Budget.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) • Congress established the Congressional

Budget Office in 1974 to… – coordinate the budget-making work of Congress. – study the budget proposals put forward by the president each year. – make cost projections of proposed new programs.


General Accounting Office (GAO)• Established in 1921, the General Accounting Office is the nation’s

watchdog over the spending of funds Congress appropriates.


General Accounting Office (cont.) • The GAO…

– reviews the financial management of government programs that Congress creates.

– collects government debts. – settles claims. – provides legal service. – prepares reports on various federal programs for lawmakers.

– provides information for committee hearings. – provides legal opinions on bills under consideration.


• The GPO prints the Congressional Record, a daily record of all the bills introduced in both houses and of the speeches and testimony presented in Congress.

Government Printing Office (GPO) • The Government Printing Office is the largest multipurpose printing

plant in the world. It does the printing for the entire federal government.


• The support agencies provide a vital function for Congress and have helped the legislative branch become less dependent on the executive branch for information.

Government Printing Office (cont.) • Another valuable publication of the GPO is the Statistical Abstract of the

United States. Published by the Bureau of the Census, this volume provides statistical information about a wide variety of topics.

Why do members of Congress have large personal and committee staffs?

Committee staffs help members deal with increasingly complex issues and greater demands by their constituents.


How could a committee staffer have more influence than a member of Congress over a proposed bill?

A staffer could choose the research that a member depends upon to determine a vote.


What are the qualifications for members of the House and Senate?

Representatives must be at least 25 years old, citizens of the United States for at least 7 years, and legal residents of the state that elects them. Senators must be at least 30 years old, citizens of the United States for 9 years, and legal residents of the state they represent.


Identify the most powerful committee in the House of Representatives.

The House Rules Committee is the most powerful committee in the House of Representatives.


How may Congress expel a member?

Congress may expel a member by a two-thirds vote.



List four advantages incumbents have in running for office.

Incumbents find it easier to raise campaign funds; they often represent districts that have been gerrymandered in their party’s favor; they are better known to voters; they use their positions and office staff to help solve problems for voters.

How do House rules differ from Senate rules?

Senate rules are more flexible than House rules. Senate rules are designed to give all senators maximum freedom to express their ideas. House rules are more complex and are designed to move legislation quickly once it reaches the floor.



What committee serves as the “traffic officer” of the House?

The House Rules Committee serves as the “traffic officer” of the House.


What position in the Senate does the vice president serve?

The vice president serves as president of the Senate.

When do terms of Congress begin?

Terms of Congress begin on January 3 of odd-numbered years.


List eight benefits members of Congress receive in addition to their salaries.

Benefits include: stationery; postage for official business; a medical clinic; a gymnasium; large allowances to pay for office staff and assistants, trips home, telephones, telegrams, and newsletters; an income tax deduction to help maintain two residences; retirement pensions of up to $150,000 per year for life


Why are bills that minority party members introduce unlikely to be reported out of committee?

Minority leaders have no power over scheduling work in the House, so a bill introduced by a minority party member may never reach the floor.


What is the House mace, and has it ever been used?

The mace is a 46-inch-long staff topped by a silver globe and an eagle with outstretched wings. The sergeant-at-arms has used the mace to restore order on several occasions. Sometimes the Speaker has ordered the sergeant-at-arms to parade it up and down aisles to quiet agitated members.

Chapter Bonus Question


Click the mouse button to return to the Contents slide.End of Chapter Assessment

Disc 1Disc 1Side 2Side 2

Chapter 5Chapter 5

Click the Videodisc button to play the MindJogger video if you have a videodisc player attached to your computer.

Use the MindJogger videoquiz as a preview, review, or both.

Click the Videodisc button to play the MindJogger video if you have a videodisc player attached to your computer.

If you experience difficulties, check the Troubleshooting section in the Help system.

Click the Videodisc button to play the video if you have a videodisc player attached to your computer.

Powers of the Congress

Rules and PrivilegesThis segment explores the rights and duties of members of Congress.

Side 2Chapter 30

Click the Videodisc button to play the ABCNews InterActive™ video if you have a videodisc player attached to your computer.


Click the Videodisc button to play the video if you have a videodisc player attached to your computer.

Powers of the Congress

Speaker of the HouseThis segment explores how the House of Representatives chooses its Speaker.

Side 2Chapter 26

Click the Videodisc button to play the ABCNews InterActive™ video if you have a videodisc player attached to your computer.


Your Congress Beginning in January each year, 535 members of Congress come together to determine such things as the safety of your workplace, the amount of taxes you pay, and how medical care will be provided.The Chapter 5 video lesson The Organization of Congress will show you more about how Congress works and how it impacts you.

Click the forward button or press the space bar to access the Democracy In Action preview and activities.

Click the Videodisc button anytime throughout this section to play the complete video if you have a videodisc player attached to your computer.Click the Forward button to view the discussion questions and other related slides.

The Organization of Congress

Click inside this box to play the preview.

Disc 1Side 1

Chapter 5

• Comprehend the process by which a bill becomes a law. • Appreciate the effort behind enacting the Minimum Wage

Increase Act.

Objectives• Understand the function of congressional

committees.

The Organization of Congress Disc 1

Side 1Chapter 5


ActivityDuring each term of Congress, how many bills are usually introduced?

More than 10,000 bills are introduced during each term of Congress. Because so many bills are introduced, much of the work in Congress is done by committees.


Side 1Chapter 5


ActivityWhich party strongly supported the minimum wage bill from the outset?

More Democrats supported the bill while Republicans initially opposed the bill.


Side 1Chapter 5


ActivityWhich committees in the House and Senate studied the minimum wage bill?

In the House, Ways and Means studied the bill. In the Senate, Finance studied the bill.


Side 1Chapter 5


ActivityHow did the Minimum Wage Increase Act affect the minimum wage?

The minimum wage was increased to $4.75 an hour in October 1996, and to $5.15 an hour in 1997.


Side 1Chapter 5


Click the mouse button to return to the Contents.End of Why It’s Important

Explore online information about the topics introduced in this chapter.

Click on the Connect button to launch your browser and go to the United States Government: Democracy in Action Web site. At this site, you will find interactive activities, current events information, and Web sites correlated with the chapters and units in the textbook. When you finish exploring, exit the browser program to return to this presentation. If you experience difficulty connecting to the Web site, manually launch your Web browser and go to gov.glencoe.com

Section Focus Transparency 5-1 (1 of 2)


1. Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry

2. Massachusetts

3. 1812


1. New York ranked first in 1890 and second in 1994.

2. New York and Pennsylvania

3. California, Texas, and Florida


1. The Republicans

2. 1996

3. A Swing of six seats would change the majority party.


1. standing committees, subcommittees, and select committees

2. joint committees

3. to reconcile the House and Senate versions of bills


1. by completing 500,000 research assignments for Congress

2. Items include discs, tapes, photographs, prints, and moving images.

3. about 240 million

The Constitution originally specified that there would be one representative for every thirty thousand persons, with the House of Representatives to be enlarged as the country grew. If the original ratio were still in force, the House would now have about 8,500 members. With the 435 limit, each member now represents about 588,000 people. Each state is guaranteed at least one representative under the Constitution, and seven states have the minimum. They include Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Delaware, and Vermont.

8,500 House Members?

By 1900, fewer than 300 people served on congressional staffs. Complaining about the later growth of these staffs, Senator Herman Talmadge (D-Georgia) said, “We have got a lot of bright-eyed, idealistic young people right out of law school, seeking new worlds to conquer. They spend virtually all of their time writing speeches…and developing brand new spending programs…and if you double the staff you double the amendments and double the costly new programs.”

Congressional Staff Growth

This case established that federal courts can hear suits seeking to force state authorities to redraw electoral districts. In this case, the plaintiffs wanted the population of each district to be roughly equal to the population in all other districts. The plaintiffs claimed that the votes of voters in the least populous districts counted as much or more than the votes of voters in the most populous districts and that such an imbalance denied them equal protection of the laws. Before this case, it was thought that federal courts had no authority under the Constitution to decide issues of malapportionment.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Click the Section Start button to return to the lecture notes.

This case extended the one-person, one-vote doctrine announced in Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) to state legislative elections. The Court held that the inequality of representation in the Alabama legislature violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Reynolds v. Sims (1964)


This case established the one-person, one-vote doctrine in elections for the United States House of Representatives. The doctrine ensures that the vote of each voter has the same weight as the vote of every other voter. This decision means that the voting population of each congressional district within a state must be as nearly equal as possible.

Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)


This case articulated the limits of the speech and debate clause (U.S. Const. art. I, § 6, cl. 1), which provides that members of Congress cannot be held criminally or civilly liable for statements made in either house. In this case, however, the Supreme Court held that the clause did not protect Wisconsin senator William Proxmire from being sued for libel. In a press release, at a news conference, and on television news programs, Proxmire claimed that federal funds were wasted in paying for a study of aggressive behavior in animals.

Hutchinson v. Proxmire (1979)

(Continued)


Had the senator limited his remarks to a speech on the Senate floor, the speech and debate clause would have protected him from the libel suit; he lost the protection of the clause by making his remarks outside of Congress.

Hutchinson v. Proxmire (cont.)


The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace be privileged from Arrest during their attendance at the Session of their Respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

U.S. ConstitutionArticle I, Section 6, Clause 1


This case established how much power Congress has in judging the qualifications of its own members. In 1966 the House refused to seat Adam Clayton Powell, even though he had been reelected, because of questionable activities by him and his staff during his previous terms. Powell charged that he had been unlawfully excluded from his seat. The Supreme Court ruled in Powell’s favor. The House could not expel Powell because he had met all of the constitutional qualifications for age, citizenship, and residency for the House.

Powell v. McCormack (1969)


End of Custom ShowsWARNING! Do Not Remove

This slide is intentionally blank and is set to auto-advance to end custom

shows and return to the main presentation.

Click the mouse button to return to the Contents slide.End of the Slide Show

government chapter 5 ppt - cloud object storage | store & … · 2013-06-07government chapter 5...

Documents