4.1 Congress: Structures, Powers, & Functions

4.1 Congress: Structures, Powers, & Functions I. Why Congress is So Powerful ●​ Congress is Article I → listed first in the Constitution ●​ Framers feared tyranny, so they: ○​ Gave Congress lots of power ○​ Divided it into two chambers (bicameralism) ●​ Purpose: slow lawmaking, compromise, prevent abuse of power MCQ idea: If the question mentions deliberation, checks, or slowing down government → think bicameral legislature II. Bicameralism = Two Chambers House of Representatives ●​ Based on population ●​ More direct democracy ●​ Represents people Senate ●​ Equal representation (2 per state) ●​ More stability ●​ Represents states​ FRQ language:“The bicameral structure of Congress balances popular sovereignty with state equality.” III. Key Differences Between the House & Senate House of Representatives ●​ 435 members ●​ 2-year terms ●​ Minimum: ○​ 25 years old ○​ 7 years citizenship ●​ More responsive to voters ●​ Powers: ○​ Start revenue (tax) bills ○​ Impeach officials ●​ Less individual power per member Senate ●​ 100 members ●​ 6-year terms (staggered → stability) ●​ Minimum: ○​ 30 years old ○​ 9 years citizenship​ ●​ More deliberative ●​ Powers: ○​ Confirm judges, ambassadors, cabinet ○​ Ratify treaties ○​ Conduct impeachment trials ●​ Individual senators = more power​ MCQ: If the question says treaties, appointments, or longer terms → Senate IV. Why the Framers Did This (Big Idea) Compromise ●​ Great (Connecticut) Compromise ○​ Large states wanted population-based ○​ Small states wanted equal ○​ Solution: House + Senate​ Fear of Factions ●​ James Madison (Federalist No. 62) ●​ Bicameralism: ○​ Makes it harder for factions to dominate ○​ Forces multiple majorities to agree “Bicameralism limits the influence of factions by requiring concurrence between two differently structured chambers.” V. How Structure Affects Lawmaking ●​ House = fast, majoritarian ●​ Senate = slow, debate-heavy ●​ Result: ○​ Laws take time ○​ Compromise is necessary ○​ Radical change is harder MCQ: If Congress seems slow or gridlocked, that’s intentional VI. Terms of Service & Accountability House ●​ Short terms → frequent elections ●​ Strong connection to constituents ●​ Responds quickly to public opinion Senate ●​ Long terms → independence ●​ Less pressure from voters ●​ Encourages long-term thinking​ Compare:​ House = responsiveness​ Senate = stability VII. How This Shows Up on FRQs might be asked to: 1.​ Compare House vs Senate 2.​ Explain why Congress is bicameral 3.​ Analyze how structure limits factions 4.​ Connect structure to policymaking outcomes Sample FRQ Sentence “The Senate’s longer terms and equal representation promote stability and limit rapid shifts in policy, while the House’s shorter terms increase responsiveness to public opinion.” VIII. MCQ ●​ ●​ ●​ ●​ ●​ Bicameral = checks + compromise House = population, revenue bills Senate = treaties, confirmations Longer terms = less responsive Equal representation = state equality IX. Notes ●​ ●​ ●​ ●​ ●​ “Slows lawmaking” → Bicameralism “Limits factions” → Federalist 62 “Responsive to voters” → House “Stability & experience” → Senate “Compromise between states” → Great Compromise Class Notes give me good notes on chapter 4.1 for ap us gov't like i need good notes to know this for like mcq and frqs i need to like undesrtandddd it yk