The House of Representatives is based on

population

The Senate is based on

equal representation, with two

Senators from every state

(today)

House of Representatives

-435 total members (fixed total)

representation based on each state’s population

-3 requirements (for members)

• 25 years old

• Live in state they represent

• U.S. citizen for 7 years

-2 year terms

• Elected every two years

House Membership

-census determines the number from each state

-apportionment-- Term that refers to the number of representatives assigned to a state based upon its population

• Divide members by states

-gerrymandering-- Drawing a district’s boundaries in an odd shaped manner in order to benefit one political party over another

• Strengthens group’s voting power

-each member represents one certain district – closer to the people

-represents constituents (citizens)

A “gerrymander” is an oddly-shaped district drawn to increase the voting power of one specific group of people. Why do people think this should be illegal? Who would it benefit? Who would it

hurt?

Current North Carolina Congressional districts.

Which district do we live in? Who is our district Representative in the House of Representatives?

How are those people “closer to the people”?

House of Representatives Leaders-Speaker of the House

-basically runs House of Reps.

• Must be from Majority Party

• 3rd in line to be President

-sets up calendar, schedules bills for debate

-Majority Leader

-each House chooses a leader of the majority party to be floor leader

• Party with most representation

-Minority Leader

-each House picks a minority party member to its floor leader

• Party with least representation

-Party Whip

-each party in each House has a Party Whip to keep track of voting on important issues

• Get party members to vote with the rest of the political party

Republican John Boehner is

the current Speaker of the House and is 3rd

in line to be President

should something

happen to the acting

President and Vice President.

Republican Eric Cantor serves as the House Majority Leader, while Democrat

Nancy Pelosi serves as the House Minority Leader.

Senate

-100 members

-based on every state being equal (2 from each state)

-3 requirements

• 30 years old

• Live in state they represent

• U.S. citizen for 9 years

-6 year terms

• Staggered elections (1/3 elected every two years) every 2 years

• One Senator serves 6 years

-each represents the whole state

The House of Representatives is based on

population

The Senate is based on

equal representation, with two

Senators from every state

(today)

North Carolina Senator Richard Burr is a Republican and Kay Hagan is a Democrat. Who does each represent?

Kay Hagan was elected in 2008. When will she be up for re-election?

Richard Burr was elected in 2010. When will he be up for re-election?

Senate Leaders

-Vice President

-official leader but only votes in a tie and is rarely present

-President Pro-Tempore

-mostly symbolic position given to the longest serving Senator from the majority party

-Majority Leader

-each House chooses a leader of the majority party to be floor leader

-Minority Leader

-each House picks a minority party member to its floor leader

-Party Whip

-each party in each House has a Party Whip to keep track of voting on important issues

Vice President Joe Biden is the official leader of the U.S. Senate. However, he rarely attends and only votes in a tie. Therefore, the President Pro Tempore, the day-to-day leader of the Senate, is Hawaiian Democratic Senator Daniel

Inouye.

Senate Majority Leader

Harry Reid and

Minority Leader Mitch

McConnell

Congressional Leadership

SenateHouse of Representatives

Speaker of the House – Always from MAJORITY

party

Vice President – Rarely attends and only votes in a

tie

President Pro Tempore – Always from MAJORITY

party, day-to-day leader

Majority Leader

Minority Leader

Majority Party Whip

Minority Party Whip

Majority Leader

Minority Leader

Majority Party Whip

Minority Party Whip

Minority Whip Team

Majority Whip Team

Majority Whip Team

Minority Whip Team

House Committee Chairpersons – ALWAYS from

majority party

Senate Committee Chairpersons – ALWAYS from

majority party

Term Limitations

term limitations???

-Idea that legislators should only be allowed a maximum number of years in office in order to encourage more involvement in government

Why do you think that some people do not want Congressmen to be

able to serve unlimited numbers of terms? What is a “citizen

legislator”? According to this picture, why should we have

“citizen legislators” rather than “career politicians”?

An incumbent is a person who is already in office when an election comes. During the election, the incumbent will

run to keep the same position.

What do you think this political cartoon is trying to say about term limitations?

Congressional Rules

-Developed to help Congress operate

• Everyone has a different opinion and different goals

-House has more rules than Senate

why???

• More people in one space

-Parliamentary Procedures

both Houses of Congress use a formal system of debate which keeps the debate orderly

What do you think Congress would be like, and achieve, if

there were not rules?

Congressional Sessions

-each Congress serves two years and is given a number

• Entire Congress is elected every two years

-Congress meets from Jan. to Nov/Dec

• 20th Amendment

• “In session”

-can be called into special sessions by President

• Whenever he feels necessary

Every two years an entirely new Congress is sworn in during the

month of January. The 109th Congress began in a new way. For

the first time, a woman (Nancy Pelosi) became the leader of the

House of Representatives, and she swore in the new members.

Congressional Benefits

-salary

• Approx. $150,000 a year

-budgets for their staff

-office space at Capital

-franking privileges-- Right of a Congressmen to send job-related mail without postage

-limited immunity

• Legal protection to speak freely while in Congress

-Limitations

-expulsion-removed from Congress

-censure--Formal vote of disapproval of a legislator’s conduct

Why do you think the franking

privilege is a benefit to U.S. Congressmen?