Splash Screen

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Splash Screen
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Contents
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 Agencies Chapter Assessment
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Why Its Important
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Chapter Objectives
Chapter Objectives

• Congressional Membership Describe the structure
  of Congress and list the qualifications for
  congressional membership.

• The House of Representatives Describe the rules
  and procedures used in the House and explain its
  role in the lawmaking process.
• The Senate Contrast the Senates leadership and
  role in the lawmaking process with that of the
  House.
• Congressional Committees Identify kinds of
  congressional committees and principles by which
  members serve on them.
• Staff and Support Agencies Explain how staff
  members and support agencies participate in the
  legislative process.

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End of Chapter Focus
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Section 1 Introduction-1
Congressional Membership

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

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?
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Section 1 Introduction-2
Congressional Membership

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

Section Objective
Describe the structure of Congress and list the
qualifications for congressional membership.
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Section 1-1

• Jeanette Rankin, a Republican from Montana, was
  the first woman elected to Congress. She was
  elected to the House of Representatives in 1916
  and was reelected in 1940.

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Section 1-2
I. Congressional Sessions (page 123)

• A. Each term of Congress has two sessions.

B. Sessions last until Congress votes to adjourn.
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Section 1-3
I. Congressional Sessions (page 123)
Until 1933 Congress remained in session only four
to six months each year. Should modern Congresses
return to this schedule? Why or why not?
Answers will vary. Students should support their
opinions with good reasons.
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Section 1-4
II. Membership of the House (pages 124127)

• A. Members must be at least 25 years old,
  citizens for at least 7 years, and residents of
  the states they represent.

B. Members serve for two-year terms. C. The
number of representatives from each state is
determined by the census population count every
10 years. D. State legislatures set up
congressional districts after the census count,
with one representative from each district.
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Section 1-5
II. Membership of the House (pages 124127)
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Section 1-6
II. Membership of the House (pages 124127)
Today, each House member represents about 625,000
people. When the population increases, should
Congress add more members to the House? Why or
why not?
No. The size of the House is limited for more
efficient government.
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Section 1-7
II. Membership of the House (pages 124127)
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Section 1-8
III. Membership of the Senate (pages 128129)

• A. Senators must be at least 30 years old,
  citizens for at least 9 years, and residents of
  the states they represent.

B. Senators serve for 6-year terms one-third are
elected every two years. C. Each state elects
two senators. D. The Senate and the House set
their members salaries members receive numerous
benefits, allowances for office staffs and
business trips, tax breaks for maintaining two
residences, and pensions when they retire.
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Section 1-9
III. Membership of the Senate (pages 128129)

• E. Both House and Senate members enjoy immunity
  from arrest, in cases not involving a felony or
  treason, or being sued for libel when Congress is
  in session.

F. Both the Senate and House may refuse to seat a
member and may censure or even expel members.
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Section 1-10
III. Membership of the Senate (pages 128129)
If you were a politician, would you rather be a
member of the House or the Senate? Explain.
Answers will vary. Students should cite the
advantages of membership in either chamber.
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Section 1-11
IV. The Members of Congress (pages 129130)

• A. Nearly half the members of Congress are
  lawyers.

B. White, middle-aged male members are
increasingly joined by members reflecting the
ethnic, racial, and gender makeup of the general
population.
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Section 1-12
IV. The Members of Congress (pages 129130)
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Section 1-13
IV. The Members of Congress (pages 129130)

• C. Most incumbent members of Congress win
  reelection to office because they are well known,
  find it easier to raise campaign money, and often
  represent districts gerrymandered in favor of
  their parties.

D. Candidates for Congress have begun using the
Internet as a campaign tool experts forecast
that Congressional candidates will make greater
use of Web technologies in the future.
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Section 1-14
IV. The Members of Congress (pages 129130)
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Section 1-15
IV. The Members of Congress (pages 129130)
In the late 1990s, members of Congress faced
growing criticism about spending so much time in
office raising money and planning their
reelection campaigns. Do you think this criticism
was justified? Explain.
Answers will vary. Students should support their
opinions with examples.
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Section 1 Assessment-1
Checking for Understanding

• 1. Main Idea In a graphic organizer similar to
  the one below, compare the qualifications for
  representatives and senators.

House 25 years old citizen for 7 years
resident of state. Senate 30 years old citizen
for 9 years resident of state.
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Section 1 Assessment-2
Checking for Understanding
Match the term with the correct definition.
___ bicameral legislation ___ censure ___ census _
__ incumbent ___ gerrymander ___ at-large

• A. a population count
• B. elected official that is already in office
• C. as a whole for example, statewide
• D. a vote of formal disapproval of a members
  actions
• E. to draw a districts boundaries to gain
  advantages in elections
• F. a two-chambered legislature

F D A B E C
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Section 1 Assessment-3
Checking for Understanding

• 3. Identify Elbridge Gerry, Twenty-seventh
  Amendment.

Elbridge Gerry was an early Democratic-Republican
governor of Massachusetts whose redistricting
plan that gave his party a political advantage
over the Federalists inspired the term
gerrymandering. The Twenty-seventh Amendment is
the constitutional amendment that prohibits a
sitting Congress from giving itself a pay raise.
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Section 1 Assessment-4
Checking for Understanding

• 4. How does Congress reapportion House seats
  among the states every ten years?

Following the Census, each states population
determines how the House seats are reapportioned.
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Section 1 Assessment-5
Critical Thinking

• 5. Making Inferences Members of Congress spend
  part of their time working for reelection. Which
  house has a greater percentage of its time
  remaining for legislative work? Why?

The Senate has more time because senators come up
for reelection only every six years. Members of
the House face reelection every two years.
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Section 1 Concepts in Action

• Political Processes What percentage of people
  believe that their representative does not listen
  to them? Formulate a questionnaire that surveys
  voters about this issue.