US GOVERNMENTFriday, June 5

Schedule• Collect Homework

• Who’s Who• Political Topic Reflection

• Finish Amendments• Legislative Branch

• Due Monday, June 8• Who’s Who (on website)

National Legislature

• Two Houses Congress• House of Rep• Senate

• Sessions

Five Major Roles of Congress

1. Legislators

2. Representatives

3. Committee members

4. Public servants

5. Politicians

Do you see any conflict of interests in these roles?

House of Representatives

• Represents the people proportionally (based on population)

• 435 representatives, each state with at least one

• Two year terms with no limit on terms served

• Reapportion• Districts• Speaker of the House

So You Want to Be in Politics?

Representatives Senate

• 25+ years old• Citizen for 7+ years• Inhabit the state you are

elected from• Customarily living in the

district you represent

What qualifications do you think are important?

• 30+ years old• Citizen of US for 9+ years• Lives in the state they are

elected from

What informal qualifications would you look for in a representative?

Benefits (Mostly “Fringe”)• Paid average $174,000/yr (as determined by members of

congress) • Tax deductions• Travel allowances• Low cost of insurance with full medical care• Pension for retirement ($150,000/yr)• Offices with hired staff• Free mail, free printing• Gyms, Access to Library of Congress, free parking, free

meals

Why are members of Congress reluctant to pass laws that give them additional benefits or higher pay?

Senate

• Represents people equally (2 per state)• Framers hoped it would have a higher quality of people• More concerned with larger issues, national political

leaders• 6 year terms, no limit• Senators can be punished or even expelled with a 2/3

vote of other senate members

Why do you think the Constitution sets such a high requirement of 2/3 vote of senators to expel a senator?

Think-Share-Pair

• How important do you think the identity or demographics are of a person serving in congress?

• Do you think the people elected into congress are a good representation of the demographics of the United States?

• Why should we care about these things?

Race of the United States

General US Population

White Black HispanicAsian Pacific Islander American Indian

Race of Congress

Senate

White BlackHispanic AsianPacific Islander American Indian

House of Rep.

White BlackHispanic AsianPacific Islander American Indian

Gender of the United States

General US Population

Male Female

Gender of Congress

Senate

Male Female

House of Rep.

Male Female

Think-Pair-Share• We looked at race and gender. Are there other

demographics that you think are important? • What are they? • Why do you think these are important

Powers of Congress• Expressed Powers – Explicit wording• Implied Powers – By Reasonable deduction from

expressed powers• Inherent powers – From creating a national government

for the US

• Strict constructionists (Jefferson) – Expressed, Implied• Liberal constructionists (Hamilton) – Expressed, Implied,

Inherent

Do you believe liberal constructionists would be happy with the way today’s government functions?

Expressed Powers of Congress

• Power to Tax• Commerce Power• Currency• Regulate Bankruptcy• Foreign Relations Power (shared with President)• War Powers (shared with President)• Naturalization • Postal Power• Copyrights• Weights and Measures• Power over territories• Judicial powers

Implied Powers of Congress from Expressed Power

• Naturalization• Regulate and limit

immigration

• War Powers• Draft Americans

• Regulate Commerce• Establish min. wage• Ban discrimination• Regulate banking

• Tax• Punish evaders• Regulate sales of commodities

(alcohol)• Outlaw commodities (narcotics)• Requirements on states for

federal funding

• Borrowing • Establish Federal Reserve

• Postal• Prohibit mail fraud• Ban some items from shipment

Inherent Powers• Control borders• Defend state from revolution

• Anything powers the government has, just because it’s the government!

Presiding Officers and Leadership

• Speaker of the House • Elected from majority party• Presides and keeps order

• President of the Senate • Vice President

• Committee Chairmen

Party Officers• Party Caucus• Floor Leaders

• Selected by party colleagues

• Whips • Assistants to the floor leaders • Selected at caucus usually with floor leader recommendation• Liaison between leadership and members

How a Bills Become Laws

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0

• What the video doesn’t show:• Senate floors involve more

debate.• Filibusters