Congress can make laws .
Article 1 congress the powere to tax borrow money raise armies declare wars create the federal judiciary regulat e commerce coin money and make “all laws necessary”
Woodrow Wilson : congress in the dominant the irresisteible powere of he federal system
Imp. Poweres: political parties and congressional committees-start legislation and making congress’s business done.
Bicameral hr and senate
1st congress 26 senators and 65 reps= 100 members, each mem represented 50 000 now 650 000 pple
1992 congress passed a law max of house 435 members
Legislator:
Have to think of who they represent and the nation welfare same time. Conflict
Spend time on constituency service for local voters.
Helps incumbents get reelected
Image of congree
Ousy image
Mark Twain- 19th cent. Merican criminal calss than congress
A place of plotticing partisan rivalry and scandal. Slowing down the policy process to debate.
David broder , an editor: scandals in congress even of pretty nature are easier to sell to most editor than the stories of larger consequences.
Pple dislike congress but reelect their congressman over and over again.
Requisites
25 yrs old, citizen 7 rys hr, serve 2 yrs , elected form congressional districts within the states.
Senate 30 yrs old citizen for 9 yrs - serve 6 yrs, 1/3 seek reelection
17th ammendement- 1913 senators are elcted by ovters of their state.
White males –upper middle class reflection, lawyers
- careerism- the tendency of legislateros to serve in congress as a lifetime.
Congress tried to term limits 6-12 yrs-failed
State governors and legislatures- draw house districts. Malapproportionment.
Gerrymandering drawing districst boundaries for partisan advantage.- mass Elbridge gerry-1823 helped draw long misshapen district
Packing large majority of supporters
Crazking splitting opponents supporters .
1962 baker vs. carr districts = population.
Each decade the census counts nations’ pop....