Week Three:  The Branches of Government:

The Legislative Branch

The Congress

The Senate

                        6 year terms, elections every two years

                        2 per state

            The House

                        2 year terms, elections every two years

                        # Depends upon population

Reasons for difference

Senate as a check on popular passions

            House responsive to public moods

            Big State vs. Small state

Enumerated Differences

Tax and spending:  from the house

            Personnel and foreign policy, from the Senate

            House initiates impeachment; Senate tries impeachment

Practical Differences

House is Hierarchichial, the Senate is not

            House members have more stability now (historically new)

            House is more efficient

How Congress is Organized (House) (pg 242)

Speaker of the House

                        Majority Leader

                                    Majority Whip

                                                GOP Campaign Committee

                                    GOP steering committee

                        Minority Leader

                                    Minority Whip

                                                Dem Policy committee

How Congress is Organized (Senate)

Majority Leader

                        GOP Policy Committee

                                    Whips

                                    GOP Committee on Committees

                                    Republican Conference

                        Minority Leader

Committee’s

Where the work is done

            Types – Standing

Joint and Conference

Select Committees

Example:  A bill goes through Congress ((Pg 265) also 267 – 269)

Committee Membership

Chairman’s, Members, Subcommittees.  Specialists vs. Generalists

            Earmarking (House and Senate)

            Blue Slip’s (Senate)

            Rules Committee

Who Do Congressmen Serve?

Constituents

            Lobbyists and Special Interests

            Party

            Selves

            The need to be re-elected

How do they vote?

By Party

            By Conscience

            By Popular will

            Trustee’s;  Representatives (delegates); Politicians?

            Agencies and Lobbyists

Other Issues

Congress and Foreign Power

            Congress and the Judiciary

            Congress and oversight