American Government Chapter 4 Notes PDF

Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______ American Government: Stories of a Nation Chapter 4 - Congress: Representation, Organization, and Legislation 4.1 - Congress and Powers of...

Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______ American Government: Stories of a Nation Chapter 4 - Congress: Representation, Organization, and Legislation 4.1 - Congress and Powers of Congress in Article I Congress & - Longest article of the Constitution, most detailed as well The Constitution - Congress is closest to the people → therefore, the people come first in the Constitution. 4.1.1 - Key Bicameral Legislature = Two-chambered lawmaking body Differences of - Created by the “Great Compromise” of the Constitutional Convention the House and Senate Madison believed in a system of checks & balances (Fed. 51) but also believed that the two chambers of Congress would inherently be a check within Congress. The House of Representatives Directly elected by the eligible voters in their districts, the members of the House are supposed to be the most directly connected to the people and their wishes. - Serve 2 year terms which keeps them close and accountable to the people. - Must be at least 25 years old - A resident of their state - A citizen of the US for 7 years The Senate Originally chosen by the State legislators, now directly elected by the eligible voters of a state due to the 17th Amendment - Serve 6 year terms, provides “insulation” from the passions of the public - Must be at least 30 years old - A resident of their state - A citizen of the US for 9 years There are no term limits for members of Congress. - John Dingell (D-MI) served from 1955-2015. He was elected to the same seat his dad won in 1935. His widow is now the elected representative. - The Dingell family has represented Michigan for the past 85 years. 4.1.2 - The Powers of Congress Powers of Generally fall into 3 areas -- lawmaking, budgeting, and exercising oversight Congress Legislative Authority The most important power of Congress is its ability to pass laws in areas of national policy. The list of enumerated powers of Congress is substantial, they are authorized to legislate in economic policy, national security, foreign policy, and other policy areas. - The Power of the Sword (Conduct foreign policy, declare war, etc.) - The Power of the Purse (Taxation, budgeting, grants, etc.)  Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______ 4.1.2 - The The Budgeting Process Powers of Congress sets the federal budget and decides how much funding agencies and programs will get. Congress The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides information and estimates as to how much money is needed to fund various agencies and programs. One of the more controversial ways in which members of Congress have been involved in the budgetary process has been the inclusion of pork barrel spending through earmarks to proposed legislation, through which members allocate and direct monies to projects or groups within their districts or states. Members of Congress sometimes vote for earmarks in another state to get their own earmarks passed through a system of logrolling, trading votes in order to get votes. - In 2011, the House of Representatives banned the use of earmarks. Oversight Congress uses its oversight authority to 1. To ensure that laws are implemented in the way that Congress intended or, 2. To investigate the president or members of the executive branch for wrongdoing. Congressional committees and subcommittees may conduct hearings and investigations into the actions of the bureaucracy or government officials. 4.1.3 - In the system of checks and balances, each of the branches shares authority with the other Exercising branches over some aspects of government. Congress is given the authority to declare war, the Checks and Senate ratifies treaties, but the President is Commander in Chief. Balances - Forces the House, Senate, and Executive Branch to work together. Congress can set the number of justices on the Supreme Court and constitute Tribunals below the Supreme Court. The Senate is also responsible for confirming presidential nominees to the federal courts, including the Supreme Court. - The Senate also exercises the same confirmation power over most presidential nominees to important posts in the bureaucracy, like cabinet secretaries. Impeachment Congress has the power to remove federal officials, including the President, Vice President, members of the bureaucracy, and federal judges through the process of impeachment. The House may introduce articles of impeachment that meet the standard of committing “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors” (Art. II, Sec. 4) If a majority of the House votes to impeach, the trial takes place in the Senate, with a two-thirds majority needed to convict (Art. I, Sec. 3) 4.1 Essential Question: Describe the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate, the functions of each chamber, and how Congress operates within a system of Checks and Balances.