Congress

• Criteria to become a Representative in the House - To be at least 25 years old, a US citizen for at least 7 years, and reside in the state they represent. 

  
  

  Criteria to become a Senator - To be at least 30 years old, a US citizen for at least 9 years, and reside in the state they represent. 
• Powers given only to the House - Sole power to originate bills of revenue and can bring grounds/changes for impeachment.

  
  

  Powers given only to the Senate - Approve treaties, gives advice & consent, approves appointments (presidential, federal judges, cabinet secretaries, ambassadors), impeachment trial

  
  

  Powers shared by both the House and Senate - all congressional powers
• Rules and Structure of the House - There are 535 (435 voting) members of the House and appointment is based upon state population which can be determined by a census taken every 10 years. They have 2-year terms and are made up by the speaker of the house (who is elected by members and is responsible for bills, calendar, committees, control debates), majority and minority leaders, and whips. It has more people so there are more rules. 
• Rules and Structure of the Senate - There are 100 senators, 2 from each state, and have 6-year terms. Every two years 1 ⁄ 3 of the senators run for office and are made up of the president pro tem (oldest senator from majority party), majority and minority leader (oldest person), and whips. There are less people and have less rules. 
• Leadership roles in the House and Senate - The House has the power to originate bills of revenue but mostly is in charge of impeachment. The Senate can approve treaties, give advice and consent, and approve presidential appointments, federal judges, cabinet secretaries, foreign policy and ambassadors. Their main job is the impeachment trial. 
• Divided Government -  a situation in which the House, Senate, and presidency are not controlled by the same party.

  Unified Government - a situation in which one party holds a majority of seats in the House and Senate and the president is a member of that same party. 
• Incumbent - previously president

  Case work - assistance provided by members of Congress to their constituents in solving problems with the federal bureaucracy or addressing other specific concerns. 
• Trustee - A congress member who votes in alignment with their constituents interest while taking into account national, collective, and moral concerns.
• Delegate - A congress member who represents their constituents interests (their direct desires) and is known for being more responsive. 
• Politico - This model is best for the people who will make decisions on the issue based on the complexity of the issue and level of salience to the constituency. They act like a delegate on issues that constituents care about (such as immigration reform) and as a trustee on more-complex or less-salient issues (such as foreign policy). 
• Purpose of Committees and what they do - The purpose of committees is to provide efficiency and productivity (where the work gets done!)

  
  

  They can do nothing (pigeonhole/table), research the bill, hear testimony from the interest group or individuals, amendit, report out favorable/unfavorable.
• Types of Committees -

  
  

  There are standing committees which are permanent and are where majority of the work gets done as they draft legislation and oversee implementation of the laws they pass.

  
  

  Ways and Means (only in the House) and are tax writing committees. Judiciary hearings are for federal judges and SCOTUS nominees.

  
  

  Appropriations are all spending bills.

  
  

  Select/Special are temporary and are a focus for one/two terms but don’t have the same legislative authority as standing committees. They collect information, provide policy options, and raise awareness for the given issue.
• Pork Barrel Legislation -  Legislation that takes something from someone to benefit specific constituents to help a representative win re-election rather than help the overall country. 

  
  

  Logrolling - Reciprocity in which members of Congress support bills that they otherwise might not vote for in exchange for another member’s votes on bills that are very important to them.
• Process of how a bill becomes a law - Speaker of the House or President of Senate receives the Bill, it goes to committees, subcommittees, it is reported out by full committee, then the rules committee or majority leader who can amend and approve.

  Next, the floor and if approved the other chamber where it can be amended and on their floor.

  It will go to a conference committee where the house can modify the senate’s bill and the senate can modify the house’s bill.
• Conference Committee - Discusses the differences between the House and Senate markups and reaches a compromise (newly written bil). Taking all edits/makeups to produce a final copy. It can die at this stage.
• Role of the president in the process of how a bill becomes a law -  The president must approve of the bill for it to become a law (unless ⅔ senate and house majority as that overrides). They can also ignore the bill, if they ignore it when Congress is in session for ten days it automatically becomes a law. If Congress isn’t in session it is a pocket veto and dies. 
• Role of interest groups in the legislative process - Interest groups can come up with bills regarding things that would benefit their specific interest. They can do research on it and propose an idea to Congress.
• Checks on Congress - The executive branch must sign or veto legislation and the judicial branch must review constitutionality of legislation. Congress checks itself through having a bicameral, censures, etc, Electorate checks Congress through voting in the next election. 
• How Congress checks the President - Congressional oversight, appropriating funds for agencies (power of the purse), check on foreign policy decisions (as they can ratify/reject treaties, declaration of war), confirm/reject presidential appointments, impeachment. 
• How Congress checks the Judiciary - Establish size of Supreme Court, structure and budgets of federal courts, accept/reject nominees for the federal courts, and ratify a constitutional amendment to override SCOTUS decisions.
• Power of the Purse - The power of Congress to control fiscal policy, the taxing and spending power that is the basis for most government programs.  
• Article I - All legislative powers are to be granted to Congress which is made up of the Senate and the House.
• Article I, Section 8 - Congress must have all goods be the same prices consistently through the nation and is able to make all laws that shall be necessary or proper
• Implied Powers - Powers not explicitly stated from the Constitution.

  Elastic Clause/Necessary and Proper Clause - According to Section 1, Article 8 of the Constitution, the government can stretch their enumerated powers to address laws that are related to their designated powers
• Enumerated Powers -  Powers given to Congress, the president, and the supreme court like:

  • Print money
  • Regulate interstate commerce and international trade
  • Make treaties and conduct foreign policy
  • Declare war
  • Provide an army and navy
  • Establish post offices
  • Make laws necessary and proper to carry out these powers.