Chapter 7 Outline

I. The Constitution and the Legislative Branch of Government

Summary: The production of the bicameral legislature ensures equal representation.
A. Apportionment and Redistricting
1. Apportionment: the proportional process of assigning congressional seats to each
state.
2. Redistricting: the process of redrawing congressional seats to reflect the alternating
changes and population shifts in seats.
B. Constitutional Powers of Congress
1. A bill can only become a law with the consent of both houses.
2. Shared powers include to declare war, raise an army/navy, coin money, regulate
commerce, establish federal courts/jurisdiction, immigration/naturalization, and
necessary and proper laws.
3. Impeachment:the power given to the House of Representatives to charge a president
for treason, bribery, or other crimes; the Senate is allowed to conduct the trials. It needs a
2/3s majority vote to be removed from office.
4. The Senate has the authority to approve presidential appointments (federal judges,
ambassadors, Cabinet, & Sub-cabinets) & approve presidential treaties w/ 2/3s vote.

II. How Congress is Organized

Summary: Congress is organized in a hierarchical manner, in which it alternates every 2 years.
A. The House of Representatives
1. The Speaker of the House
a. The Speaker of the House if elected by the House of Representatives, is the
only officer mentioned in the Constitution, & 2nd in line for presidential
succession.
b. Majority party is a party with the most members; Minority party is a party with
the second most members.
2. Other House Leaders
a. Majority & minority leaders are the next powerful leaders after the speaker.
They are elected from party caucuses/conferences.
b. Whips assist the speaker & majority/minority leader by being a communication
link within the party.
B. The Senate
1. The presiding officer of the Senate is the vice president, who votes only if there’s a tie.
2. The majority leader of the Senate is more powerful, but not as powerful as the speaker
of the House.
C. The Role of Political Parties in Organizing Congress
1. Each caucus/conference work closely w/ the House or Senate.
D. The Committee System
1. When different versions of a bill are passed by both the House & Senate, the
conference committee meets to come to a consensus.
 2. There 4 types of congressional committees: 1) Standing 2) Joint 3) Conference 4)
Select/special.
3. Standing committees: Are needed when bills need consideration/revising.
4. Joint committees: They pay attention to economy, taxation, & scandals; are needed to
speed up business between the House & Senate
5. Conference Committees: Compromise differences passed by the House/Senate.
6. Select/Special committees: Temporary committees appointed for a specific purpose.
7. Congress has 19 standing committees w/ an average of 31 members.
8. A bill can be rejected by a House committee by a discharge petition signed by a
majority of the House.
E. Committee Membership
1. A pork is when a legislation let representatives bring money/jobs to their districts.
2. Committee Membership is defined by the contribution to that chamber.
F. Committee Chairs
1. They are given the power to select subcommittee chairs, call meetings, & recommend
majority members to sit on conference committees.
2. Have the power to reject a bill by refusing to hear it.
3. Seniority: Long time service on a committee.
4. House of leadership interviews potential chairs to make sure that candidates
demonstrate loyalty.

III. The Members of Congress

Summary: Although members of Congress acknowledge the challenges of being part of the
government, they enjoy what they do until their role no longer seems desirable.
A. Running for Office and Staying in Office
1. Incumbency is the advantage an incumbent office holder has over his or her
challengers in seeking reelection.
B. Congressional Demographics
1. Congress members are wealthy, highly educated b/c of wealth, & more white/male.
2. The average age of a Senator is 60/House is 54.
C. Theories of Representation
1. Trustee: Listen to everyone’s opinions & use their best judgment to make the final
choice.
2. Delegates: Would vote for what the people not, despite their own opinions.
3. Politico: A vice versa of being a trustee or a delegate.

IV. How Members Make Decisions

Summary: To make sure members won’t make voting mistakes, they look at a variety of sources
to make their decision.
A. Party
1. Divided government: A political situation in which different political parties take over
the White House & Congress.
B. Constituents
1. Constituents who live and vote in the state district are always in the member’s mind
when deciding on a vote.
 2. It is difficult for members to vote against the wishes of the constituents when dealing
with the issues of civil rights, abortion, or war.
C. Colleagues and Caucuses
1. When legislators agree for each to trade their vote on one bill they care little about in
exchange for the other's vote on a bill that is personally much more important to them.
D. Interest Groups, Lobbyists, and Political Action Committees
1. Lobbyists provide information to potential legislators, committees, & their staff. They
can’t vote, but their voters can.
E. Staff and Support Agencies
1. Staff members meet about proposed legislations & prepare summarizes of bills.

V. The Law-Making Function of Congress

Summary: When the framers created Congress, they intended to make bills difficult to be passed
to ensure the law making process would be fair and diligent.
A. How a Bill Becomes a law: The Textbook Version
1. In order for a bill to become a law, it must be approved by a standing committee &
both chambers, but if the House & Senate disagree, each house must collaborate on these
disagreements.
2. The 1st action requires the subcommittee to decide whether to hold hearings on the
law. If they favor it, it is shifted to the full committee.
3. 2nd action requires both the House & Senate to agree to it.
4. Bills may be held by a hold (a method by which the senator asks to be told of the bill
beforehand.)
5. Filibusters allow unlimited debate on a bill in the Senate.
6. Cloture ends a filibuster, which requires 16 senators to sign)
7. 3rd action requires a conference committee to come to a consensus.
8. A veto prevents bill from becoming a law.
9. A president has 10 days to consider a bill:
a. President can sign the bill to make it a law.
b. Can veto the bill (Congress can override the veto w/ 2/3s vote)
c. Wait the 10 days & the bill would automatically become a law.
d. Congress can pocket veto: suspend the bill before the 10 days are up.
B. How a Bill Really Becomes a Law: The China Trade Act of 2000
1. A bilateral agreement wanted to make China a member of the World Trade
Organization. Clinton wanted to build support to implement the proposed legislation. He
requested to see Congress, it went through the law making process. It eventually became
successful after the challenge of a filibuster. China was later admitted.

VI. Congress and the President

Summary: When Congress is unable to meet public demands for solutions, they hand it over to
the chief executive.
A. The Shifting Balance of Power
1. Despite if there is a shift in power, Congress would ultimately have the most.
B. Congressional Oversight of the Executive Branch
1. Oversight is when Congress reviews and investigates the activities of an agency,
department, and office.
 2. Congress is successful at oversight function b/c it has the ability to question members
of the administration.
3. Congressional Review is a process when Congress can invalidate newly announced
agency regulations.
C. Foreign Affairs Oversight
1. War Powers Act limits the president in the deployment of troops overseas.
D. Confirmation of Presidential Appointments
1. The Senate has the power to confirm presidential nominees, but not always.
E. The Impeachment Process
1. Impeachment process is Congress’s ultimate oversight of the president.
2. House & Senate leads the impeachment process.

VII. Congress and the Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary has the power to determine if acts of Congress are constitutional. The
federal district courts have the power to judge the nominees of judges through a senatorial
courtesy, a process in which the president consults a Senator of his political party before
nominating a person for Senate. Despite the outcome of the Supreme Court decisions or how big
of an impact the federal district has in the government, that is simply each monitor one another.