Intro to Congress

Open Ended

What are 3 things you remember about Congress from Yesterday's Video?

Let’s Work On The

“Functions” Document

Together!

Functions of Congress

Representation

Law Making

Oversight

Confirmation/
Ratification

Investigation

• Like a room with a partition, Congress is one

congress made up of two houses.

• Three Reasons for this:

– Historical

•British Parliament did it (Houses of Commons &
Lords)

– Practical

•Helped resolve dispute between large & small states

– Theoretical

•Checks and balances

3 Types of Powers
• Expressed Powers

– (most Art. 1, Sec 8)
– Powers that are STATED in the Constitution

• Implied Powers

– Those not stated but drawn from expressed

powers

• Regulate Commerce- set minimum wage

• Inherent Powers

– Powers that belong to all sovereign nations-

control borders

• 100 members (2 per state)
• Elected to 6 year terms
• Qualifications:

– 30 years old
– Been a citizen for the last 9

years

– Live in the state you wish to

run in at the time of the
race

Match

Match the following

• Expressed/Enumerated Powers

• Implied Powers

• Inherent Powers

These are explicitly written into the constitution.

Powers the governments have as an extension of their "Expressed Powers"

Powers Governments Have Because they Exist

• These are explicitly written into the constitution.

• Powers the governments have as an extension of their "Expressed Powers"

• Powers Governments Have Because they Exist

Poll

Of the three types of powers, which do you believe has given Congress the most authority to act?

• Expressed/ Enumerated Powers

• Implied Powers

• Inherent Powers

• 100 members (2 per state)
• Elected to 6 year terms
• Qualifications:

– 30 years old
– Been a citizen for the last 9

years

– Live in the state you wish to

run in at the time of the
race

Open your "Terms" Document

We'll work on getting the answers for 1-5 below!

• Tries impeachment cases

brought by the House

• Votes on all bills and

legislation sent up from the
House
– More often than not,

“amends” such bills
before passage,
requiring a return to the
House, which either
votes for the amended
bill or continues to
revise it

• The Vice President is oficially “president” of

the Senate

–Largely ceremonial position as this is a

non-voting position except

•In the event of tie (50-50), the VP casts
deciding vote

•Paradoxically, the least and most
important position

• Majority/Minority Leader

–The true power in the Senate

–Elected by Senate members of his/her

party

–The most visible member of the Senate

–Often meets with, and acts in concert with,

the Speaker of the House & President

• Majority/Minority “Whips”

–As the name implies, responsible for party

discipline, keeping members “in line” and
generally enforcing “proper” party
behavior

• President Pro Tempore

–Almost entirely a ceremonial title

–Usually granted to the senior member of

the majority party

–Presides when the VP is unavailable

–Otherwise has the same power as any

other Senator

• 435 members (based on each

state’s population)

• Elected to 2 year terms

• Qualifications:

– 25 years old

– been a citizen for the last 7

years

– Live in the state you wish to run

in at the time of the race

• Introduce legislation and,

if passed, move on to
Senate approval

• Originates revenue

raising measures

• Sole power of

impeachment, with trial,
if required by Senate

• Approves by 2/3 vote any

Constitutional
amendments prior to
state ratification

• Speaker of the House

–Elected by majority party
–Presides over House
–Principle leader of party
–3rd in line of succession
–Assigns bills to committees
–Assigns membership within

committees

• Majority Leader

– Floor leader of the party that holds the

majority of seats in Congress

– Carries out decisions of their party

caucuses

– Steers floor action to their party’s benefit
– Chief spokesman for his/her party in the

chamber

– More powerful in the House because

he/she has more votes

• Minority Leader

– The floor leader of the party that holds

the minority of seats in each house

– Carries out decisions of their parties’

caucuses

– Steers floor action to their parties’ benefit

– Chief spokesman for his/her party in the

chamber

• Majority/Minority

Whip

–Function pretty much

like Senate
counterparts

• Both Houses have equal

amount of money allocated for
funding

• Senators usually have larger

staff

– ¼ back home in district offices

to deal with constituents

• Draft bills, do research,

negotiate with interest groups

Reorder

Reorder the following in terms of Most Influential to Least Influential in the House

• Speaker of the House

• House Majority Leader

• House Minority Leader

• Majority/ Minority Whip

• Vice President

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Reorder

Reorder the following in terms of Most Influential to Least Influential in the Senate

• Senate Majority Leader

• Senate Minority Leader

• Majority/Minority Whip

• Vice President

• President Pro Tempore

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Match

Match the following House Leaders

Speaker of the House

House Majority Leader

House Minority Leader

House Majority Whip

House Minority Whip

• Speaker of the House

• House Majority Leader

• House Minority Leader

• House Majority Whip

• House Minority Whip

Match

Match the following SenateLeaders

Senate Majority Leader

Senate Minority Leader

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

President Pro Tempore of the Senate

• Senate Majority Leader

• Senate Minority Leader

• Senate Majority Whip

• Senate Minority Whip

• President Pro Tempore of the Senate

“It is indispensable that
besides the House (which
runs on all fours with
popular sentiment), we
should have a body like the
Senate which may refuse to
run with it at all when it
seems to be wrong.”
-Woodrow Wilson