Structures, Powers, and Functions of CONGRESS [AP Gov Review, Unit 2 Topic 2 (2.2)]

Summary

This video dives deeper into Unit 2 of the AP Government curriculum, focusing on how the structure, powers, and functions of Congress impact the policymaking process. The video explains the leadership structures of the House and Senate, the significance of committees, and how bills become laws. Viewers learn about the Speaker of the House, majority/minority leaders, the power of committees, and legislative tools like filibusters and unanimous consent in the Senate. The complex budgeting process, mandatory vs. discretionary spending, and deficit spending are also discussed in a clear, engaging manner.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The Speaker of the House is always a member of the majority party and holds significant power, such as recognizing who can speak and assigning committees.
• 🗳️ The Majority and Minority Leaders in both houses guide their party members on how to vote and help direct policy discussions.
• 🪖 The Vice President is the President of the Senate, but usually doesn't participate, so the President Pro Tempore leads in their absence.
• 📋 Committees play a crucial role in both the House and Senate for drafting and debating legislation, with different types such as standing, joint, select, and conference committees.
• 🔄 Standing committees are permanent and deal with ongoing issues, while select committees are temporary and address specific matters.
• 🔑 The House Rules Committee controls which bills reach the floor for debate and assigns bills to other committees, giving it immense power in the legislative process.
• 🕰️ Senators have unlimited debate time, which can lead to filibusters – a tactic to delay or kill legislation, though the cloture rule can stop it with three-fifths support.
• 🤝 Logrolling occurs when representatives agree to support each other's bills, facilitating the legislative process.
• 💰 Congress handles two types of spending: mandatory spending, required by law, and discretionary spending, which is debated by committees.
• 📉 Congress often spends more than it has, leading to deficit spending, which results in borrowing or raising taxes.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is to explain how the structure, powers, and functions of both houses of Congress affect the policymaking process.

What is the only leadership position in the House of Representatives mentioned in the Constitution?

The only leadership position in the House of Representatives mentioned in the Constitution is the Speaker of the House.

How does the Speaker of the House influence the legislative process?

The Speaker of the House influences the legislative process by recognizing who can speak, making committee assignments, and exercising significant control over the parliamentary procedure in the House.

What are the roles of the majority and minority leaders in the House of Representatives?

The majority and minority leaders guide their party members on voting and policymaking issues, help direct debate, and ensure party members are working together to achieve favorable policy outcomes.

What is the difference between the leadership positions in the House and the Senate according to the Constitution?

In the Senate, the Constitution mentions two leadership positions: the President of the Senate (the Vice President of the U.S.) and the President Pro Tempore. The House only mentions the Speaker of the House.

How is the Senate majority leader more powerful than the President Pro Tempore?

The Senate majority leader is more powerful because they set the legislative agenda by controlling which bills reach the floor for debate, whereas the President Pro Tempore mainly leads the Senate when the Vice President is absent.

What are the four types of committees used by Congress?

The four types of committees used by Congress are: standing committees, joint committees, select committees, and conference committees.

What is a standing committee, and can you give an example from both the House and Senate?

A standing committee is a permanent committee that deals with issues that are always present. An example in the Senate is the Appropriations Committee, and in the House, the Ways and Means Committee.

What is a filibuster, and how can it be stopped?

A filibuster is an attempt to stall or kill a bill by talking for a long period. It can be stopped through the 'cloture rule,' which requires three-fifths of the Senate to agree to end the debate and bring the bill to a vote.

What are the two types of federal spending, and what are examples of each?

The two types of federal spending are mandatory spending and discretionary spending. Mandatory spending includes legally required programs like Medicare and Medicaid, while discretionary spending covers federal employee salaries and other programs, typically debated by committees.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Introduction to Congress Structures and Powers

The video begins by discussing the structure, powers, and functions of Congress, specifically focusing on how these aspects affect the policymaking process. It emphasizes the unique roles of the House of Representatives and the Senate, highlighting their different approaches to policy. The speaker introduces the main objective: to explain how these structures influence policymaking and prepares the viewer for an in-depth discussion.

05:02

🏛️ Leadership Structure of the House of Representatives

This section focuses on the leadership structure of the House of Representatives. It explains the role of the Speaker of the House, a powerful position chosen by the majority party, and how the speaker controls parliamentary procedure, committee assignments, and debate. Below the speaker are the majority and minority leaders, who guide their parties in policymaking. It also introduces the roles of the majority and minority whips, who enforce party discipline.

🏛️ Leadership Structure of the Senate

The video shifts to the leadership structure of the Senate, noting two positions mentioned in the Constitution: the President of the Senate (the Vice President of the U.S.) and the President Pro Tempore. The Pro Tempore leads in the absence of the Vice President. The section also details the power of the Senate Majority Leader, who controls the legislative calendar and the flow of bills, setting the agenda for Senate proceedings.

📑 Role of Committees in Congress

The section introduces the concept of committees in both the House and Senate, which handle specific legislative responsibilities. There are four main types: standing committees (which exist permanently and handle ongoing issues like appropriations), joint committees (including members from both chambers), select committees (temporary committees for specific purposes), and conference committees (formed to reconcile differences in bills passed by both chambers). These committees are crucial to the legislative process.

📝 Legislative Process in the House of Representatives

This paragraph focuses on how the House of Representatives conducts its legislative business. The House Rules Committee plays a pivotal role by acting as the gatekeeper of legislation, determining when and how bills are debated. The House also uses a procedural move called the 'Committee of the Whole' to expedite debate, as well as discharge petitions to bring stuck bills out of committees for a vote.

🏛️ Senate’s Unique Legislative Process

This part explains how the Senate's legislative process differs due to its smaller size and more relaxed rules for debate. Senators have the privilege of unlimited debate time, leading to filibusters, where a senator can delay or block legislation by talking for extended periods. The video also discusses the 'cloture rule' to end filibusters and 'unanimous consent' to fast-track procedures, showing how the Senate balances debate with productivity.

📜 The Bill-to-Law Process

The video delves into the steps a bill takes to become law. Bills can be sponsored by members of either chamber and undergo revisions, sometimes gaining 'riders' or pork barrel spending, which add unrelated provisions to benefit specific districts or states. The video also introduces logrolling, where representatives support each other’s bills through mutual agreements. It highlights how the legislative process is shaped by negotiation and compromise.

💰 Budgetary Legislation: Mandatory and Discretionary Spending

The final paragraph covers the complexity of the federal budget, explaining the difference between mandatory and discretionary spending. Mandatory spending refers to expenses required by law, such as Medicare and Medicaid, while discretionary spending covers government functions like federal employee wages. The section touches on deficit spending, where Congress borrows or raises taxes to cover its spending beyond its available funds.

Keywords

💡Congress

Congress refers to the bicameral legislature of the United States, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the video, the structure, powers, and functions of both houses of Congress are examined, emphasizing how these affect the policymaking process. The script explains the leadership roles and committee systems within Congress, which are crucial for understanding how laws are made in the U.S.

💡Speaker of the House

The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, chosen by the majority party. The video highlights the importance of this role, stating that the Speaker controls committee assignments and manages parliamentary procedure, which has a significant impact on the legislative process.

💡Majority and Minority Leaders

These are the leaders of the majority and minority parties in both the House and the Senate. They guide party members on voting and policy decisions. In the House, these leaders help coordinate party actions and ensure that the party's legislative goals are being met, while in the Senate, the majority leader controls the legislative calendar and agenda.

💡Committees

Committees are smaller groups within both the House and Senate that debate and draft precise legislation. The video explains four types of committees: standing, joint, select, and conference committees. Committees are essential for breaking down complex legislative work into manageable tasks.

💡Standing Committees

Standing committees are permanent committees that handle ongoing issues like appropriations or taxation. In the video, the Senate’s Appropriations Committee and the House’s Ways and Means Committee are given as examples of standing committees that play a major role in federal budget decisions.

💡Filibuster

A filibuster is a tactic used in the Senate to delay or prevent a vote on a bill by extending debate. The video mentions the historical example of Senator Strom Thurmond’s 24-hour filibuster and explains how the mere threat of a filibuster can still be used to stall legislation.

💡Cloture

Cloture is a procedure used in the Senate to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote. It requires a three-fifths majority to pass, making it difficult to achieve. The video discusses how cloture is a tool to overcome extended debates, but its use requires significant consensus.

💡Unanimous Consent

Unanimous consent is a procedural agreement in the Senate where all members agree to waive certain rules for the sake of efficiency. The video emphasizes its role in helping the Senate avoid prolonged debates or filibusters when everyone agrees to limit discussion and move forward.

💡Discharge Petition

A discharge petition is a procedure in the House of Representatives that allows a bill stuck in committee to be brought to the floor for a vote if a majority of members support it. The video uses this as an example of how the House can bypass bottlenecks in the legislative process.

💡Pork Barrel Spending

Pork barrel spending refers to funds allocated to specific projects in a representative’s district, often included in larger bills to secure the representative’s vote. The video mentions this as a way that bills change during the legislative process, with representatives adding provisions that benefit their constituents.

Highlights

The speaker of the house is always a member of the majority party, since the majority party members vote on this position.

The speaker of the house holds significant power by recognizing who can speak and making committee assignments.

The house majority and minority leaders guide their party members on how to vote on policymaking issues.

The Senate president is the vice president of the United States, but this role is largely ceremonial and rarely involves direct Senate oversight.

The Senate majority leader controls the legislative agenda by setting the calendar and determining which bills reach the floor for debate.

Standing committees are permanent and address ongoing issues, such as the Senate's Appropriations Committee or the House's Ways and Means Committee.

Joint committees consist of members from both the House and Senate, often handling topics like the Library of Congress or federal government publishing.

Select committees are temporary, formed for a specific purpose and disbanded after completing their task, such as the committee for the Missouri Compromise.

Conference committees are convened when both houses need to reconcile differences in versions of the same bill.

House members use a discharge petition to force a vote on bills that get stuck in committee, requiring a majority vote to bring the bill to the floor.

The Senate operates with more relaxed debate rules, including the use of filibusters to stall or block legislation.

The cloture rule allows the Senate to end a filibuster with a three-fifths majority vote, though achieving this is difficult.

Bills often undergo changes during the legislative process, such as the addition of riders (unrelated provisions) or pork-barrel spending to benefit specific districts.

Congress balances mandatory spending (such as Medicare and Medicaid) with discretionary spending, though deficit spending often occurs.

Logrolling in Congress is a system where representatives agree to support each other's bills in exchange for votes on their own proposals.

Transcripts

well hey there and welcome back to H

history in the last video I began

talking about unit 2 of the AP

Government curriculum namely the

structures powers and functions of

Congress and in this video we're going

to do it again but we're going deeper so

if you're ready to get them brain cows

milk then let's get to it so in this

video here's what we're trying to

accomplish explain how the structure

powers and functions of both houses of

Congress affect the policymaking process

and look just to warn you up front this

is a big one so G thyself and let's jump

in so the emphasis in this video is

policymaking and how the structures of

Congress affected and because the Senate

and the house both have different

structures and Powers policymaking is

accomplished in different ways depending

on which house you're in so first let's

talk about the leadership structure in

each house and just for poops and

Giggles let's begin with the House of

Representatives the Constitution only

mentions one specific leadership

position in the house and that's the

speaker of the house and other than

saying that the house member shall

choose this leader doesn't say anything

about what the speaker does however

since this position is by the choice of

the house which is to say the house

members vote on this person that means

the speaker of the house will always be

a member of the majority party why well

because if a party holds the majority in

the house ain't no way they're going to

vote for a leader in the other party now

over time the house has made its own

rules for itself and how the speaker

will function and this has become a very

powerful position in the house because

the house follows parliamentary

procedure to structure its work which is

an elaborate system of rules for who can

speak when and how the speaker has the

power to recognize who can speak and who

cannot additionally the speaker is the

one who makes committee assignments and

we're going to talk more about

committees later but for now just

understand that since everyone in the

house is going to be in some committee

and some are more desirable than others

you want to be on the speaker's good

side so you can get the better committee

assignments okay now one rung below the

speaker are the majority and minority

leaders again these are not positions

given to the house by the Constitution

but they're important nonetheless these

are the folks that guide their own party

members and how to vote and other

policymaking issues additionally the

majority and minority leaders help

direct debate and basically you just

need to understand that party leaders

want to make sure that their members are

working together to achieve policy

outcomes favorable to their party and

leaders make sure that that's happening

then below them you have the majority

and minority whips and they're

responsible for party disciplines like

if ralat Tren party members are acting

like turds and not Towing the party line

or if representatives are not showing up

for votes then the whip steps in and

gets them back in line okay that's the

basic leadership structure of the house

so now let's consider the leadership of

the Senate the Constitution actually

mentions two leadership positions in the

Senate and the first is the president of

the Senate which is also the vice

president of the United States now that

sounds like a very lofty position you

know like the president of the Senate

you the more sure house in Congress but

in reality the vice president has a lot

of other stuff going on especially in

Modern Times And so they're rarely

present at the Senate so that brings us

to the next Senate leadership position

mentioned in the Constitution the

president prot temporary although you

most often hear this called the

president protm the Constitution says

that the senate members will choose the

president protim and that means again

that this will be a member of the

majority party and this person leads the

Senate when the vice president is away

the next Senate leadership position you

should know is the majority and minority

leaders the majority leader has a great

deal of power because he or she sets the

legislative agenda by determining which

bills reach the floor for debate and

which do not and the main way the

majority leader does this is by

controlling the calendar assignments of

bills the Senate calendar is what

determines what bills and resolutions

are awaiting debate and voting okay so

now that we have the basic leadership

structure for both houses of Congress

down let's look at how each house

actually gets its legislative work done

and for that I need to tell you about

committees both the Senate and the house

use committees to get their work done

and that's not because it's mandated in

the Constitution but because it's more

like a practical necessity committees

are smaller groups of legislators who

debate and draft precise legislation

that would otherwise be impossible in

the large group setting of either the

house or the Senate now there are four

species of committees that you need to

know and first is the standing committee

and you know as much as I'd like to tell

you that they're called that because

their members do all their work without

sitting down that's not really what it

is a standing committee is one which

remains from congressional session to

Congressional session like it's always

there because those committees are

dealing with issues that are always

present an example of a standing

committee in the Senate is the

Appropriations Committee which is the

largest and arguably the most powerful

Committee in the Senate this group

debates and makes decisions on where

Federal money is going to be spent and

since that's an issue that always exists

this is a good example of a standing

committee a good example of a standing

committee in the house is the Ways and

Means Committee which is among the most

powerful and prestigious committees

there and this is the group that's

responsible for taxation bills of

various kinds the next kind of committee

you need to know is the joint committee

and these are groups that involve

members from both the house and the

Senate like they are together jointly we

have the joint committee on the library

which deals with issues relating to the

Library of Congress you also have the

joint committee on printing which deals

with the publishing arm of the federal

government both of these committees are

examples of joint committees that

persist over time but sometimes joint

committees can be formed in the short

term as well the next kind of committee

you need to know is the select committee

this is the opposite of a standing

committee which is to say it's a

temporary committee that is formed for a

very specific purpose if you took AP US

History you may remember the Missouri

Compromise which established where

slavery could exist in the United States

well that compromise was hammered out by

a select committee that only existed for

about a week and then was disbanded

after the purpose was accomplished and

finally you need to know about

conference committees I already

mentioned that in order for a bill to

become a law identical versions of it

must be passed by both houses of

Congress and if both houses can agree on

an identical version than a conference

committee is formed to hammer out the

differences now it'll be important for

you to understand that even though both

houses use committees to get work done

the different constitutional

responsibilities of the house and the

Senate affect the policymaking process

say in committees all right if you're

overwhelmed by all this information well

then go and have yourself a proper cry

in the corner and let's keep going okay

we've talked about leadership structures

and committees and so now let's get down

to exactly how Congress gets its work

done and let's consider each house

separately first the house and as I

mentioned the last video house rules

mandate limited debate among its members

because of its sheer size and in many

cases that limit is an hour now in terms

of which bills make it to the floor for

debate we have to talk about the house

rules committee which is a very powerful

committee it's essentially the

gatekeeper for all legislation and if

the rules committee doesn't let a bill

through for debate it essentially dies

additionally this committee decides when

votes take place and assigns bills to

various committees for debate and

revision and the house also makes use of

What's called the committee of the whole

which is just a procedural move that

relaxes some of the rules for debate so

that amendments for bills can be debated

quicker it doesn't require all 435

members to be present just a minimum

Quorum of 100 Representatives the house

also uses what's called a discharge

petition in order to get their work done

if a Bill gets stuck in committee which

can happen more often than you think

because bills often go to committees to

Die the house can muster a majority vote

which brings that bill out of the

committee and to the floor for a vote

okay now let's look at how the Senate

gets its work done because of its

smaller size the rules for debate are a

lot more relaxed in fact Senators enjoy

the privilege of unlimited debate time

and so that presents the occasion for

the filibuster this is an attempt to

stall or kill a bill by talking for a

very long time and the award for longest

filibuster goes to STM Thurman who

talked for 24 hours in 18 minutes to try

to kill a Civil Rights bill in 1957

apparently his AIDS set up a bucket in a

closet right off the senate floor so

that he could you know uh make water and

still keep one foot on the senate floor

and thus not be disqualified for

filibustering so you know that's fun

anyway that kind of talkie-talkie

filibuster rarely happens anymore today

all someone has to do is threaten a

filibuster and it basically accomplishes

the same thing now there is something

called the clure rule by which the

Senate can get a filibustering senator

to shut their mouth hole and bring the

bill to a vote but that requires

three-fifths of the Senate to agree and

that is not easy to do so that's why all

it takes is the threat of a filibuster

to stall a bill the Senate also employs

the principle of unanimous consent to

get their work done this can be applied

to a lot of different situations but

it's basically a call for agreement by

all Senators to restrict certain

privileges for the sake of getting work

done faster so if everyone agrees that

there will be no filibustering for

example then the Senate can proceed

without fear of getting bogged down okay

now that's good enough for our purposes

now let's talk about the basic process

of of how a bill becomes a law a bill

can be sponsored by a member from either

the house or the Senate and as that bill

is considered and debated it often

changes sometimes non-gain writers are

added which are Provisions to the bill

that actually have nothing to do with

the subject of the bill usually these

writers benefit a certain

representative's District or state

another way a bill can change is by the

addition of pork barrel spending which

are funds earmarked for a particular

representative's District either way the

point is bills change as they move

through the legislative process and once

the bill is assigned to a committee it

can be further debated and changed but

once it comes out it goes to the floor

for a vote and the voting process can

sometimes be affected by log rolling

which is basically when one

representative says to another hey I'll

vote for your bill if you vote for mine

it's really just an elaborate system of

congressional backs scratching now

probably among the most complex

legislation the Congress has to consider

is the passing of the federal budget and

there are two kinds of spending they

have to consider first is mandatory

spending which is the money that they

have to allocate by law for example

Medicare and Medicaid are Healthcare

programs which by law have to be paid

for thus they are examples of mandatory

spending but after all of this is

accounted for everything left over is

discretionary spending and as you can

probably imagine committees debate hard

over how to allocate These funds

although the biggest category for

discretionary spending is always human

resources which is to say paying the

federal employees who run the government

it wouldn't it be hilarious have

Congress only allocated as much

discretionary spending as they had money

in their vaults no man we always spend

more than we have and that is called

deficit spending as mandatory spending

increases it makes sense that

discretionary spending should decrease

but that is usually not the case so

where does Congress get all that extra

scratch well they either borrow it or

they raise taxes okay that was a beefy

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