Congress UNIT 4 Government & Citizenship: Timpanogos High School
Dec 16, 2015
CongressUNIT 4
Government & Citizenship: Timpanogos High School
Unit 4 Targets
4.1 What is Congress?
◦1a How is congress set up?
◦1b What are the essential features of Congress?
◦1c What does Congress do?
Government & Citizenship: Timpanogos High School
1a How is Congress set up?
Bicameral legislature:
◦ House (435) Representation = population
◦ Senate (100) Equal representation
1b What are the essential features of Congress?Reapportionment
◦Census
Congressional districts
◦Redistricting
Congressional term:
◦Currently in the 113th Congress (Jan 5, 2013 – Jan. 2015)
Reapportionment The 2000 Census
Government & Citizenship: Timpanogos High School
Congressional Districts
AP Government & Politics Timpanogos High School
Redistricting
Texas Congressional Districts
Government & Citizenship: Timpanogos High School
Arizona Congressional Districts
Government & Citizenship: Timpanogos High School
1c What does Congress do? What are the basic functions of Congress?
Make Laws◦ Basic function of Congress
Practice Oversight◦ Investigations
Powers of the Purse◦ Tax, Spend, Borrow
AP Government & Politics Timpanogos High School
Basic Steps in Lawmaking◦ Introduce◦ Committee Assignment◦ Floor Action
The filibuster Ted Cruz
◦ Presidential Action
Oversight
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Oil Execs testify
Power of the Purse
Power to tax, spend, and borrow
Federal Budget
National Debt
Budget Deficit
Where does your money go?
Government & Citizenship: Timpanogos High School
Unit 4 Targets
4.2 How is Power Exercised in Congress?
◦2a Political Parties How are political parties organized in Congress?
◦2b Committees What are Committees?
◦2c Leadership What are the leadership positions in Congress?
Government & Citizenship: Timpanogos High School
Political PartiesMajority Party
◦Control… Committees Leadership Agenda
Minority Party
Government & Citizenship: Timpanogos High School
Political Parties – Current Balance of Power
Workhorse of Congress
Standing
◦House (21)……………………………………………Senate (17)
Chair
Subcommittees
COMMITTEES
LEADERSHIP
House:◦ Speaker (Constitutional)
Nomination (1:40) / Transfer◦ Majority Leader & Whip◦ ◦ Minority Leader & Whip◦
John Boehner (R) Oh-8
Nancy Pelosi
(D) CA-8th
Steny Hoyer
(D) MD-5th
LEADERSHP
Senate:◦ Vice president / President
Pro tempore
◦ Majority Leader / Whip
◦ Minority Leader / Whip
Harry Reid
D-NV
Mitch McConnell
R-KY
Case Study: Why is it so hard to cut defence spending?
V-22 Osprey
F-22 Raptor
Support the F-35
Save the A10 (Facebook)
Case Study: Defence Spending
Save the A10 (Facebook)
Politics of the A-10(NPR)
Fini
AP Government & Politics Timpanogos High School