Congress

Unit 4

Notable Supreme Court Decisions

Baker v. Carr (1962)- Decided that federal courts have the power to review
redistricting done by Congress-members.
Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)- Officially required that states draw in districts that are
proportionate to the population in that area.
Reynolds v. Sims (1964)- Stated that each district had to have roughly the same
population, and guaranteed equal representation for everyone.
Thornburg v. Gingles (1986)- Prevented the process of "cracking" where blacks and
other minorities were broken up into different districts as a way to prevent their
vote from mattering as much

Notable Supreme Court Decisions cont.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)- Decided that the practice of redistricting by race must me
handled with strict scrutiny under the law, according to the equal protection clause.
Easley v. Cromartie (2001)- Stated that redistricting for political reasons is NOT
unconstitutional, but specifically redistricting according to race still was.
LULAC v. Perry (2006)- Ended with the decision that the court would/will not step
into political arguments regarding redistricting situations, after the court didn't
resolve a partisan dispute over gerrymandering issues in Texas.

To what extent is Congress

fulfilling its obligations?
Congress - Day 1

2016 versus the Midterm Election Results: what does it

mean?
House of Representatives
Senate
194 Democrats
48 Democrats
239 Republicans
51 Republicans
2 Undecided
1 Undecided
2016 Congressional Election Breakdown Ballotpedia
2016 Election Results Politico
What are your reactions to these speeches below? How did the results
of the 2014 midterm elections impact the last 2 years of the Obama
Administration?
President Obama on Election
Results - NYTimes

Mitch McConnell on Election

Results- NYTimes

Group Work
1. Analyze the assigned maps what trends emerge that are worth noting?
2014 Senate maps-links to House and Governor
2014-detailed map

2. Analyze the exit polls - why did the

Republicans win and the Democrats lose?
Any interesting trends?
2014-exit polls

Constitution Activity
What role did the Framers anticipate Congress would play in our government?
1.
2.
3.

Analyze Article 1.
Create a list that describes the text of the Constitution says about the power
and structure of Congress
Using your list, rank the five most important powers the Constitution grants to
Congress

Part 2 - Constitution Activity

For the list above, are there any areas where Congress could be seen as failing to
fulfil their responsibilities? Provide examples.

In groups
1. How has congress changed in the last 70 years? (types of
representatives, incumbent, move for term limits)
2. How is Congress different than a parliamentary system?
Should we switch? Why or why not?
3. What is the tension between centralization or
decentralization in Congress?
4. What specific eras have led to the evolution of Congress?
a.
b.

Phase 1 - 3
Phase 4 - 6

How are the people

represented in Congress?
Day 3

Do Now - Confessions of a Congressman

http://www.vox.com/2015/2/5/7978823/congress-secrets
Select one confession that surprised you. Explain why.
Select one confession that did not surprise you. Explain why.

BBC - Why is American politics so

dysfunctional?

How do members of Congress vote?

Representational View Organization View
-

Members want to
be re-elected
Constituents have
a clear view on
issues

Attitudinal View

Important to please
- vote on personal
party, other
ideology
members
Most constituents
dont know how
Is the disappearing
you voted
center a myth?
Votes sometimes
called party votes

Party Polarization
"When a majority of voting Democrats oppose a majority of voting Republicans."

http://media.cq.com/votestudies/

Critical Thinking
1. Which explanation of congressional voting do you find to be the most plausible?
Why?

2. Have any of these views of voting been under attack recently? Provide an
example.

Exit Slip
1.
2.
3.

Review Pew Researchs article, 7 things to know about polarization in America.

Select the most important finding.
Write a brief response on Schoology explaining why you chose that finding and
how it impacts government and politics in the US.

How is
Congress
organized?
Day 4

How do our representatives vote?

Jim Himes

Richard Blumenthal

Chris Murphy

111th Congress

95% with party

Senator Dodd

Joe Lieberman

112th Congress

90% with party

96% with party

93% with party

113th Congress

93% with party

98% with party

98% with party

Himes Ideology GovTrack

Himes Voting Record
- Washington Post

Blumenthal Ideology GovTrack

Murphy Ideology GovTrack

Voting Record Washington Post

In groups How do our leaders vote? Are we represented? Why or why not? Who is left out?

Jim Himes

Richard Blumenthal

Chris Murphy

What type of district is CT4?

2012 - Jim Himes, 59.8%; Steve Obsitnik, 40.2%

1. What could account for

2010 Jim Himes, 53.1%; Dan Debicella, 46.9%
our status as a ___________
district?
2008 Jim Himes, 49.8%; Chris Shays, 49%
2. Does Jim Himes vote
2006 Chris Shays, 50.6%; Farrell, 47.9%
appropriately for our
2004 Chris Shays, 52.4%; Farrell, 47.6%
district? Why or why
not?
2002 Chris Shays, 64.4%; Sanchez, 35.6%
Himes Ideology - GovTrack
Himes Voting Record - Washington Post

How do members of Congress serve their

constituents?
-

Case work
Patronage
Earmarks

Senate

House of Representatives
246 Republicans; 188 Democrats; 0 Independents;
1 Vacancies

- Speaker of the House -Decides who

will speak next, if motions are germane,
members of Rules Committee, which
committee gets the bill
Ways and Means Committee - All
revenue bills start here
- Initiates impeachment
- More committees - each committee
has 4 sub
- Bills introduced to hopper
- Ad hoc committees allowed
- 2 year terms

54 Republicans; 44 Democrats; 2 Independents

Committees
Whips
Caucuses

- President Pro Tempore

- Filibuster
- No rules on debate unless cloture
__invoked
- Unanimous Consent rule
- Senatorial courtesy
- Holds impeachment trial
- Foreign treaties
- Fewer committees, members serve on more
- Bills introduced to floor
- No ad hoc committees
- 6 year terms

Committees

Links:
http://www.house.gov/committees/
http://clerk.house.gov/committee_info/index.aspx
http://www.senate.gov/committees/committees_home.htm

Standing Committees - permanent panel with full legislative functions and oversight
responsibilities
Subcommittees formed to tackle very specific tasks within the jurisdiction of the
full committees
Select or Special Committees - groups appointed for a limited purpose and limited
duration
Joint Committees - includes members of both chambers to conduct studies or
perform housekeeping tasks
Conference Committee - includes members of House & Senate to work out
differences between similar bill

Day 5: How does a bill

become a law in theory
and in practice?

Do Now 1- Open Schoology and copy and paste your bill into the google document.
2. Take out your worksheets from class Friday.

Tests - Grading Rationale

Multiple Choice

FRQ out of 4
(17.5 /5 = 4.37 4.5)

FRQ out of 5
(17.5 /5 = 3.5)

FRQ out of 6 (17.

=2.9 3)

1 pt per question

1 = 4.5

1 = 3.5

1=3

2=9

2=7

2=6

3 = 13.5

3 = 10.5

3=9

4 = 17.5

4 = 14

4 = 12

5 = 17.5

5 = 15
6 = 17.5

Raw score ____ / 70 to get percentage out of 100

EQ: Should
Congress be
reformed or
regulated?

Review
Quarter
Project

Class discussion
How should Congress be regulated?

What about pork?

2010 Defense Appropriations Bill
1,735 earmarks, $4.2 billion
$19 million to study gas emissions from cow flatulence
$144,000 to see if pigeons follow human economic laws
$800,000 for a restroom on Mount McKinley $1 million to
preserve a sewer in NJ as a historic monument

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

$789 Billion Stimulus Package
$8 billion for high-speed rail projects
Magnetic-levitation rail line between Disneyland and Las
Vegas
$2 billion for battery companies
$100 for US Shipyards (Alaska, Alabama)
$800 million to carbon-capture projects

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Discussion
question: Is this
pork? Should
Americans be
outraged?

Recovery

Earmarks
In 2010, the House banned
earmarks for private
companies and the Senate
followed suit in February 2011

Ban on earmarks: Will this change anything?

Exit slip
On the back of your index card, reevaluate the claim/thesis your group wrote on the
midterm elections.
Based on what you have learned about Congress do you think your claim is still true? Why
or why not? Provide new evidence.

Do you agree with the message of this cartoon? Why or

why not?