Legislative Powers
(Powers given to Congress)
Expressed Powers-Article I, Section 8
Implied Powers-Article I, Section 8, Clause 18
“Necessary and Proper Clause”
Pages R22-23
Copy these notes into your notebook for formative
assessment on Friday
Expressed Powers
Article I, Section 8 (17 listed)
Verus
Implied Powers
Article I, Section 8, Clause 18
Financing Powers
Clause 1
Commerce Power
Clause 3
War Powers
Clauses 11-13
Expressed Power
Expressed Power
Expressed Power
Lay & Collect taxes
To regulate Commerce
To raise armies & a navy
Implied Power
Implied Power
Implied Power
-Punish tax evaders
-establish a minimum
wage
-draft Americans into
military
Congress
Bicameral legislature-Why?
•Historical: British parliament had a two house legislature
since 1300s
One house might act as a check on the other
House of Representatives
Senate
–100 members
–every state gets 2 senators
–seats are apportioned
–represent the whole state
according to state population
–1 member represents 690,000
–6-year terms (1/3 every two yrs.)
People (7 small states get 1)
–favors small states
–2 YR. terms (everyone—even yrs.)
–435 Members
–favors large states (CA-53/WY1)
What about Wisconsin?
–How many House representatives does Wisconsin have?
–What congressional district do we live in? That Depends
City of CF, South of city- 3rd Congressional District
North of City, Layfette-7th Congressional District
–Who is our representative in the House of Representatives?
Sean Duffy (REP) Ron Kind (DEM)
Ron Johnson
7th District
3rd District
-Who are our two U.S. Senators?
Tammy Baldwin
1.
How many members are there in the House of Representatives
2.
How many members serve in the Senate?
3.
How long is the term for a senator?
4.
How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
5.
When is the next election for members of the House of Representatives (year)?
6.
Who is your representative in the House of Representatives (write down your
Congressional District)?
7.
Historically, why do we have a bi-cameral Legislature?
8.
One member of the House of Representatives represents approximately how
many people?
9.
What percentage of the House of Representatives is up for reelection in
November of 2014?
10. The Senate favors what size States?
11. Explain how they come up with 538 members in the Electoral College.
12. Who are Wisconsin’s 2 Senators?
I. Congress
A. What Congress is…
1. Legislative Branch
2. Consists of both the House of Representatives & Senate
B. What Congress Does…
1. Tasks of Congress
a. Pass Bills
b. Declare War
c. Confirm or reject Presidential Appointments (Senate)
2. Practice oversight: monitors executive branch through
investigations and hearings (Example: Watergate hearings)
3. Votes: factors influencing
a. Amount of public attention on an issue (shooting-gun control)
b. views of constituents
c. party’s position on an issue
C. What is Reapportionment and Redistricting?
1. Reapportionment Act of 1929 set the total of House at 435
2. After Census every 10 years, the House must undergo
reapportionment
3. What is Gerrymandering?
a. Drawing districts boundaries for political advantage
b. Redistricting is left up to the state governments
c. This favors the majority party—they can draw district
boundaries to favor their party’s candidates
d. Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) limited Gerrymandering
-Districts must have roughly the same amount of people
(690,000)
D. Leaders in the House of Representatives
1. Speaker of the House
a. John Boehner (R-Ohio)
b. 2nd in line for the Presidency (VP)
c. Very Powerful-determines what bills will be considered
2. Floor Leaders-manage action and strategy of their party
a. Majority Leader- Eric Cantor (R-TN)
b. Minority Leader -Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
3. Party Whips-encourage members to vote for their party’s bills
4. Party Caucus
a. Meeting of all the House members from a particular political party
b. Pick leaders during Caucus/discuss strategies for their party
Wisconsin’s Congressional Districts
for 2012 Elections
E. How Congress Works: The Committee System
1. Standing Committees: permanent; deal with certain subjects (Pg. 142)
a. WHY? Study bills before debate & vote
b. 20 in House
c. Make up is proportional (majority party gets more seats on committee)
d. A bill can’t become a law W/O being voted out of committee
e. Ways and Means Committee most powerful in H of Rep (taxation)
2. Sub-Committees: part of Standing Committees
-Take a narrower focus on bills (break them down)
3. Select Committees: limited time and purpose
-Investigations (Watergate/Fast and Furious)
4. Joint Committees: address broad issues that affect both chambers
-Conference: work out difference from House and Senate Bills
Make up of a Congressional Committee
2012
Election
Results
–How many Republicans are in the House?
(234) 53.7%
–How many Democrats are in the House?
(201) 46.3%
How many Republicans on a 20 member Committee?(X 53.7)
How many Democrats on a 20 member Committee?
11
9
F. Leaders in the Senate
1. President of Senate-Vice President
a) Can only vote if there is a tie
b) Absent most of the time (president pro tempore fills in)
2. president pro tempore-Majority Party’s oldest member
a) presides in absence of V.P.
b) 3rd in line for Presidency.
3. Most Powerful in Senate-Majority leader
a) plans daily agenda—schedules bills for debate
b) influences committee assignments
4. Party Whips-encourage members to vote for their party’s bills
G. Rules
1. Filibuster “talk a bill to death”
a) Prevents a vote on a bill
b) Powerful tool for minority party
c) Encourages compromise between parties
2. Cloture
a) Limits Filibuster
b) 60 votes imposes cloture on debate
Senate Make-Up
Democrats
57
Republicans
41
Independents 2