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GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Congressional
Requirements and
Privileges
INFOGRAPHIC
Profile of Congress
POLITICAL CARTOON
Bringing Home the Bacon
Lesson 3
How Congress Works
TIME LINE
Women in Congress
ESSENTIAL QUESTION Why do people create, structure, and change governments?
It Matters Because
NGSSS covered in
“Qualifications and Staffing”
Qualifications and Staffing
SS.7.C.2.3 Experience the responsibilities of
citizens at the local, state, or federal levels.
SS.7.C.3.8 Analyze the structure, functions,
and processes of the legislative, executive,
and judicial branches.
LA.7.1.6.1 The student will use new
vocabulary that is introduced and taught
directly.
MA.7.A.1.2 Solve percent problems,
including problems involving discounts,
simple interest, taxes, tips, and percents of
increase and decrease.
GUIDING QUESTION What are the qualifications for becoming a member of Congress?
Reading HELP DESK
Would you like to be a member of Congress someday? You
would belong to one of the most powerful lawmaking bodies in
the world. You would have a nice salary and good health care.
You would have the opportunity to meet with and talk to the
president. You would also work with other powerful members
of our government—and the governments of other nations. You
would have a chance to do good things to help the people of
your state or district. Does that sound exciting and rewarding?
Of course, there is another side to the job. You would carry the
responsibility of serving your constituents and the nation as a
whole. You would be busy almost all the time. You would have
to make difficult decisions. Your choices would be constantly
watched by the media and your constituents. You would know
that any decision, no matter how much you believed in it,
would not satisfy everyone. You might be voted out of office in
two or six years.
Who would choose this life? What kinds of people are the
members of Congress? What challenges do they face? How do
they go about doing their jobs? Who helps them do their work?
Taking Notes: Comparing
Use a Venn diagram to note the basic requirements
for running for each house of Congress and the
privileges shared by all members. SS.7.C.3.8
208 The Legislative Branch
Privileges
Senate
Requirements
House
Requirements
Content Vocabulary
• franking
privilege
• lobbyist
• casework
• pork-barrel
project
PHOTO: (tl) Congressional Quarterly Inc.; (tc) Getty Images; (tr) Ed Fischer, and CartoonStock.com
In making laws, Congress makes decisions that affect all Americans.
The Constitution describes the qualifications for members of
Congress. To run for senator, you must be at least 30 years old
and live in the state you plan to represent. You also must have
been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years before being elected.
Members of the House of Representatives have to be at least
25 years old and live in the state they represent. In addition,
they must have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years before
being elected.
The members of Congress have more in common than
meeting these legal qualifications. In the 112th Congress, about
200 senators and House members—almost two out of every
five—were lawyers. There was a great mix of occupations,
though, including farmers, doctors, homemakers, and former
members of the armed forces. There were even a few former
entertainers and professional athletes.
Members of Congress tend to be “joiners.” They are more
likely than the average citizen to be active in community
organizations.
In the 112th Congress, senators had an average age of 62 and
House members an average age of 56. Fewer than 30 House
members and senators in total were younger than 40.
Members of Congress receive many benefits. In 2010,
both senators and representatives were paid $174,000 a year.
Further, they receive free office space, parking, and trips to
their home states. Senators and representatives can
send job-related mail without paying postage.
This is called the franking privilege.
Members of Congress have life and
health insurance. They also have
the use of a gymnasium, special
restaurants, and a clinic.
Another benefit is that senators
and representatives have immunity,
or legal protection, in certain
situations. This allows them to
say and do what they believe is
right without fear of interference
from outsiders. Of course, this
protection does not mean that they
are free to break the law.
Before taking office, members of
Congress must take an oath to uphold
the Constitution. Carte Goodwin of West
Virginia took the oath in June 2010 to
fill the Senate seat made vacant by the
death of Senator Robert Byrd.
▲
PHOTO: Congressional Quarterly Inc.
Requirements and Benefits
CRITICAL THINKING
Making Inferences Why do you think
members of Congress must take such an
oath?
franking privilege the right of senators
and representatives to send job-related mail
without paying postage
Lesson 3 209
Why It
MATTERS
Location, Location, Location
All members of Congress have at
least one office in their home
district. If you or your family
needs information or help from
your representative, you can
contact the staff at the district
office for assistance. Go online to
the senate.gov or house.gov Web
site to find the office nearest you.
SS.7.C.2.3
Congressional Staffs
Serving in Congress is a full-time job. To get help with
their workload, members of Congress hire a staff of clerks,
secretaries, and special assistants.
Members of Congress have offices in or near the Capitol in
Washington, D.C. They also have one or more offices in their
home district or state. The members rely on the people on their
personal staffs to run these offices.
What do these personal staffs do? These workers gather
information on new bills and issues. They handle requests for
help from constituents. They deal with news reporters and
lobbyists. Lobbyists are people who represent interest groups.
They contact lawmakers or other government officials in an
effort to influence their policy making. Staff members also
work to help the member of Congress win reelection. The law,
however, requires staff to do this work on their own time.
CHART SKILLS
PROFILE OF CONGRESS
These graphs show some facts
about the makeup of the 112th
Congress.
GENDER
CRITICAL THINKING
1 Comparing What is the
percentage of women in the
House? In the Senate?
MA.7.A.1.2
2 Making Inferences Why do
you think such a high
percentage of members of
Congress are lawyers?
73
Women
362
Men
17
Women
83
Men
PARTY AFFILIATION
House of Representatives
Senate
242
193
47
51
Republican
Democrat
Republican
Democrat
Independent 2
Reading HELP DESK
lobbyist representative of an interest group
who contacts lawmakers or other government
officials directly to influence their policy making
210 The Legislative Branch
Academic Vocabulary
draft to make an outline or a rough version
estimate to judge the approximate
nature, value, quality, or amount of a thing
PHOTOS: Leland Chapman
In addition, many members of Congress hire students
from their districts to work as volunteers. The students
serve as interns and pages. Interns help with research
and office duties. Pages deliver messages and run
other errands. This experience gives young people a
firsthand look at the political process. One former intern
commented, “I felt like I had a backstage pass to the
greatest show in the world.”
Congressional committees also need staffs. Committee
staff members do many day-to-day lawmaking chores. They
gather information on issues the committee will handle.
They organize committee hearings and negotiate with
lobbyists. They also draft, or outline, bills. In short, they
keep the long and complex process of making laws moving.
Agencies of Congress
Congress has also created agencies to support its work.
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the
world. At least one copy of every book published in
the United States is kept there. The Library of Congress
is an important source of information for members of
Congress and their staffs.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) looks
into financial matters for Congress. It reviews spending
by federal agencies to make sure that funds are being
used well. It studies federal programs to see if they
are working properly. The GAO also suggests ways
to improve how the government spends money. The
GAO helps Congress when it is considering new laws.
It studies problems and analyzes different actions that
can be taken to address them. The GAO does not work
only with Congress. It can also give advice to executive
departments.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is another
agency that helps members of Congress. The CBO
provides information needed by Congress to develop the
government’s budget. Budgeting is an important activity
of Congress that takes place every year. It helps Congress
come up with—and stick to—a budget plan. The CBO also
looks at the possible costs and benefits of different actions
Congress is considering. It does not suggest policies.
Instead it estimates, or tries to identify the amount of,
the costs of programs and their possible effects.
PROGRESS CHECK
Concluding Why might the franking privilege help a member of
Congress get reelected?
teen
citizens in action
Serving as a
House Page
Leland Chapman, 17
Salisbury, North Carolina
Leland Chapman
L
eland Chapman thought it was a
dream come true. After trying for
three years, he was finally selected to
serve in the House Page Program in
Washington, D.C.
Every summer, teenagers ages 16
and 17 from across the United States
apply to come to the nation’s capital to
serve as pages. Pages serve on the
support staff of the members of
Congress. To serve in the House Page
Program, applicants must be sponsored
by the representative from their local
district.
Teens accepted into the program
live in the House Page Residence Hall a
few blocks from the Capitol. They study
such subjects as government and
foreign affairs at the House Page School.
Most of the time, they work for House
members on the House floor. Leland
loved it. “I saw the lawmaking process in
action,” he said.
Leland and other pages carried out a
wide variety of jobs, from answering
phones in the members’ cloak room and
delivering mail to collecting documents
to be placed in the Congressional
Record, the official record of the work of
Congress. Leland learned a lot. “It’s
important to understand how
government works,” he says, “because
you want your voice to be heard. The
only way your
voice will be
heard is if you
get involved
in politics. I
want to be a
changemaker.“
Citizenship and Teens
What did Leland learn as a page that he thinks will
help him in the future?
Lesson 3 211
NGSSS covered in
“Congress at Work”
SS.7.C.2.10 Examine the impact of media,
individuals, and interest groups on
monitoring and influencing government.
SS.7.C.2.11 Analyze media and political
communications (bias, symbolism,
propaganda).
SS.7.C.3.8 Analyze the structure, functions,
and processes of the legislative, executive,
and judicial branches.
LA.7.1.7.3 The student will determine the
main idea or essential message in
grade-level or higher texts through
inferring, paraphrasing, summarizing, and
identifying relevant details.
Congress at Work
GUIDING QUESTION How do members of Congress exercise their responsibilities?
Today, the United States has more than 310 million people. Only
535 members of Congress represent them. The many demands
of our nation on Congress are mind-boggling. How does
Congress handle its huge workload?
The basic job of senators and representatives is to represent
the people of their states and districts. They are responsible for
reflecting and putting into action their constituents’ interests
and concerns. Congress does its work in regular time periods, or
sessions, that begin each January 3 and last most of the year.
Making Laws
Members of Congress often hear
testimony from the public, including
celebrities, about issues they are
studying. Here, performer Harry
Connick, Jr., testifies about rebuilding
the Gulf Coast following Hurricane
Katrina. SS.7.C.2.10
▲
CRITICAL THINKING
Making Inferences Why is it important
for congressional committees to listen to
testimony from members of the public?
As representatives, members of Congress carry out many
different tasks. Making laws is perhaps the best-known one. In
fact, members of Congress are often called “lawmakers.”
Congress considers different kinds of legislation each year.
Most legislation is in the form of bills, which are drafts of
proposed laws presented to the House and Senate. You will
learn more about this process in Lesson 4.
As lawmakers, members of Congress fill various roles. They
act as investigators and thinkers, studying issues to understand
them—and to try to come up with ways to address them. When
they propose a law, they take the role of writer. Once the bill is
written, they must work to promote it to other members to gain
support for it. Finally, they are evaluators. They examine
proposed bills, thinking about how those bills will affect
the people they represent and the nation.
Doing Casework
Members of Congress often help people from their
home districts and states in dealing with the federal
government. This help is called casework. Some members
receive as many as 10,000 requests a year for this help.
These requests cover a range of issues.
PRIMARY SOURCE
deceased spouse; . . . immigration; farmers’ loans; Medicare claims; railroad
retirement; and federal rental housing.
”
Reading HELP DESK
—Anonymous congressional staff member, quoted in Congressional Research Service,
Congressional Member Office Operations, 2003
casework the work that a lawmaker
does to help constituents with a problem
212 The Legislative Branch
pork-barrel project government
project grant that primarily benefits a
congressperson’s home district or state
PHOTO: Getty Images
casework requests are as diverse as the federal government: a lost
“SocialTheSecurity
check; a veteran’s widow requesting burial assistance for her
Why do lawmakers spend so much time on casework? First,
casework helps lawmakers to get reelected because it increases
popular support. Second, casework helps lawmakers see how
well the executive branch is handling programs such as Social
Security or veterans’ benefits. Third, casework provides a way
to help citizens deal with federal agencies. One member of
Congress was asked about the importance of casework. He
called casework “about second to breathing.”
Helping the District or State
Besides serving their constituents, members of Congress also try
to bring federal government projects to their districts and states.
Projects funded by government spending that mainly benefit the
home district or state are often called pork-barrel projects. To
understand this term, think of a member of Congress dipping
into the “pork barrel” (the federal treasury) and pulling out a
piece of “fat” (a federal project for his or her district). Critics say
that this spending is a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Many lawmakers see the situation differently. To them,
bringing federal dollars to their own state or district is not doing
anything wrong. Rather, they see it as trying to help people or
groups in their state or district who have a need. They believe
it is a way of helping their constituents win a fair share of
government spending. A goal of many members of Congress
is to work to give their constituents a share in the money the
national government spends every year.
This cartoon shows a congressman
returning home riding on top of his
pork-barrel projects.
▲
PHOTO: Ed Fischer, and CartoonStock.com
CRITICAL THINKING
Predicting How do you think pork-barrel
projects affect the view of constituents
toward their representative? SS.7.C.2.11
Lesson 3 213
Every year, Congress passes public works bills. These bills
set aside billions of dollars for local projects. Such projects might
include building dams, military bases, veterans’ hospitals, or
highways. The construction work brings jobs and money into
a state or district, sometimes for a period of several years. In
addition, these projects can create jobs in the future, to run or
maintain whatever has been built.
Lawmakers use several different methods to try to win
projects for their district or state. They cannot simply decide to
grant the money, of course. They do not have direct control over
grants and contracts. Executive branch agencies, such as the
Department of Labor, make these decisions.
Lawmakers can, however, try to influence agency decisions.
Members of Congress may try to convince agency officials to
give a favorable hearing to their state’s requests. Lawmakers
may also encourage their constituents to contact agency officials
in order to make their needs known. Sometimes, public pressure
can affect the choices that executive agencies make.
Senators and House members can also add wording to bills
to provide funds for specific projects they favor. These additions
are called “earmarks.” Of course, the funding only goes through
if both chambers pass the bill.
Members of Congress want their districts or states to get a
fair share of the available grants and contracts funded through
the federal budget. These grants and contracts are important
to lawmakers and the people in their districts or states. These
federal funds are a major source of money and jobs and can
greatly improve the economy of a district or state.
PROGRESS CHECK
Evaluating Do you think pork-barrel projects are a good idea? Or should
such projects be distributed evenly among states and districts?
LESSON 3 REVIEW
Review Vocabulary
1. What is the franking privilege? LA.7.1.6.1
2. Why do members of Congress believe that
casework is important? LA.7.1.7.3
3. Why might a lobbyist work to get a member of
Congress to support a particular pork-barrel project?
SS.7.C.2.10
Answer the Guiding Questions
4. Identifying What qualifications must a person
have to be a candidate for the House of
Representatives? The Senate? SS.7.C.3.8
214 The Legislative Branch
5. Summarizing What are three major
responsibilities of members of Congress? SS.7.C.3.8
6. CREATIVE WRITING Describe the job of a
member of the House or Senate by creating a want
ad for a member of Congress. In the ad, include
qualifications, benefits and salary, and skills
needed. Also include facts that demonstrate the
typical responsibilities of members. SS.7.C.3.8