https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es sections 1,2 and 3. en-us 2017-09-19 20:12:43 UTC 2017-09-19 21:09:23 UTC hello@padlet.com kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189091029

Congress is made up of two very different houses—the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

Senators enjoy six-year terms of office and represent their entire state,.

Representatives have two-year terms and are elected from districts. 

The House of Representatives set rules to limit debate and promote majority rule. 

The Senate set rules that gave more power to the minority.

Congress’s division into two houses has resulted in conflict because they often approach issues very differently.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:14:11 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189091029 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189091704

Each term of Congress begins on January 3 in years ending in an odd number and lasts for two years.

Each congressional term is two sessions.

A session lasts one year and includes breaks for holidays and vacations. 

Congress remains in session until its members vote to adjourn.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:17:27 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189091704 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094038

Must be at least 25 years old, be citizens of the United States for at least seven years, and be legal residents of the state that elects them. 

Elected for two-year terms.

Elections are held in November of even-numbered years.

If a representative dies or resigns in the first session of Congress, the state must hold a special election to fill that vacancy.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:26:26 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094038 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094078

The Census Bureau takes a national census, or population count, every 10 years. 

Each state’s population determines the number of representatives it will have for the next 10 years.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:26:39 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094078 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094167

After the states find out their new representation, each state legislature draws the boundaries for the congressional districts.

Redistricting is the process of setting up new district lines after reapportionment has been completed.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:26:57 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094167 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094217

If one party is dominant in the state legislature, it often tries to draw boundaries to ensure victory in future elections.

Packing a district means drawing the lines so they include as many of the opposing party’s voters as possible. 

Cracking means dividing an opponent’s voters into other districts to weaken the opponent’s voter base.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:27:10 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094217 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094271

Senators must be at least 30 years old, citizens of the United States for nine years before election, and legal residents of the state they represent. 

Only one-third of the senators run for reelection every two years. 

If a senator dies or resigns before the end of his or her term, the state legislature can authorize the governor to appoint a person to fill the vacancy.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:27:20 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094271 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094296

The Senate and the House set their own salaries. 

Over the years, Congress has voted itself periodic salary increases. 

]]> 2017-09-19 20:27:26 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094296 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094328

Members cannot be sued for anything they say on the floor. 

Both the Senate and the House may judge the qualifications of new members and decide whether to seat them.

Each house may refuse to seat an elected member by a majority vote if the member-elect fails to meet the constitutional requirements of age, residence, or citizenship.

Each house may punish its own members for disorderly behavior by a majority vote and expel a legislator by a two-thirds vote. 

]]> 2017-09-19 20:27:33 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189094328 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189098063

The House and Senate each print their rules every two years. 

House rules are aimed at defining the actions an individual representative can take.

Rules in the House are geared toward moving legislation quickly once it reaches the floor.

Leaders of the House of Representatives have more power than leaders in the Senate. 

]]> 2017-09-19 20:42:09 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189098063 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189098079

The committees of Congress perform most legislative activity.

Committee work is even more important in the House than in the Senate. 

Since members of the house represent districts, they serve on committees that are important to their constituents. 

]]> 2017-09-19 20:42:16 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189098079 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189098103

In both the House and Senate, the Republicans and Democrats sit on opposite sides from each other. 

In each house, the majority party has the power to select the leaders of that body, to control the flow of legislative work, and to appoint the chairs of all the committees.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:42:23 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189098103 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189099299

The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer and its most powerful leader. 

 A closed meeting of the majority party chooses the Speaker of the House at the start of each session of Congress.

The Speaker can influence proceedings by deciding which members to recognize first. 

The Speaker also appoints the members of some committees, schedules bills for action, and refers bills to the proper House committee.

The Speaker of the House follows the vice president in the line of succession to the presidency.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:48:08 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189099299 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189099841

The Speaker’s top assistant

Helps plan the party’s legislative program, steer important bills through the House, and make sure the committees finish work on bills that are important to the party.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:50:22 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189099841 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189100160

All laws start as bills and stays a bill  until both houses of Congress pass it and the president signs it. 

To introduce a bill in the House, representatives drop it into the hopper.

After a bill is introduced, the Speaker of the House sends it to the appropriate committee for study, discussion, and review. 

Bills that survive the committee process are put on one of the House calendars.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:51:54 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189100160 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189100818

Called the “traffic officer,” because it helps to direct the flow of major legislation.

The representative who chairs this committee has great influence.

After a committee has considered and approved a major bill, it usually goes to the Rules Committee.

The Rules Committee can move bills ahead quickly, hold them back, or stop them completely.

]]> 2017-09-19 20:54:12 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189100818 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189101298

As major bills come out of committee, they are entered on the calendar in the order in which they are received.

Bills can be moved up on the calendar upon request.

The Rules Committee can also say how long the bill can be debated and revised.

The Rules Committee also settles disputes among other House committees. 

The Rules Committee often delays or blocks bills that representatives and House leaders do not want to come to a vote on the floor. 

]]> 2017-09-19 20:56:00 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189101298 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189102147

The vice president is the Senate’s president but doesn't act the same as the Speaker of the House,

The vice president may recognize members and put questions to a vote, but does not take part in debates.

The vice president may influence members through personal contact. 

]]> 2017-09-19 20:59:50 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189102147 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189102591

The Senate’s most important officers are the majority and minority leaders. 

They are elected by party members.

Majority leader steers the party’s bills through the Senate and makes sure members support certain bills.

The minority leader critiques the majority party’s bills and keeps his or her own party united. 

]]> 2017-09-19 21:01:54 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189102591 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189103005

Bills are brought to the floor by unanimous consent.

• a motion by all members present to set aside formal rules and consider a bill from the calendar.  

A single senator can object to a unanimous consent agreement.

]]> 2017-09-19 21:04:04 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189103005 kelly_may2 https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189103034

Important bills need the votes of sixty senators to pass the Senate because of filibusters.

• This is any number of actions taken by a senator or group of senators to prevent a bill from coming to a final vote. 

Senators can end a filibuster by voting for a cloture resolution. 

]]> 2017-09-19 21:04:11 UTC https://padlet.com/kelly_may2/68qly6v438es/wish/189103034