CONGRESS AND STATE LEGISLATURE FOR TEXAS—COMPARISON TABLE: Both Create LawThe Organizational Structure Of These Legislatures And More|
Issue|CONGRESS: In Washington, DC3 Branches of Government [->0]Handout|TEXAS LEGISLATURE: In Austin, TX. 3 Branches of Government [->1]Handout|
· Level in US Government|National/ Federal/ Central|State|
· Type of legislature|Bicameral:Annual Sessions ( Occurring every year) =Meets Approx. 150 Days|Bicameral:Biennial Sessions (Occurring every two years) =Meet 140 days(Second largest state in the union and only meets twice a year and for less time)|
· Membership:Single Member Districts: Residential Requirements o Senate o HR o Total|Membership o 100Each state has 2 Senators o 435o 535|Texas Delegation· 2 Texas State Senators· 32 House of Repshttp://congdistdata.tamu.edu/USCongressionalDistricts.pdf· 34|Membership· 31 State Senatorshttp://www.tlc.state.tx.us/redist/pdf/s1188/map.pdf· 150http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/redist/pdf/h1369/map.pdf· 181|
· Elected or appointed|Elected|Elected|Elected|
· Representation per person: o Senate (s) o HR o Total|Representation per person: Senate (s)= 2HR = 1Total= 3|Representation per person:Senate (s)= 1HR = 1Total= 2|
· Membershipdetermined by party affiliation: Partisan/ Yes, No.|Yes, partisan.|Yes, partisan.|
· Terms of Office:|· Terms of Office: o Senate = 6 years o HR = 2 years|· Terms of Office: o Senate = 4 years o HR = 2 years|
· Salary of Senators and House of Representatives.|· The current salary (2008) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $169,300 per year.|· The current annual salary for both the House and Senate is $7,200. They are paid only when legislature is in session.|
· Representation:|· Instructed Delegate: A legislator who votes according to the views of constituents regardless of personal beliefs. · Trustee: A legislator who acts according to her or his conscience and the broad interests of the entire society. · Politico: A legislator who votes according to both the views of constituents and according to his own judgments.|· Instructed Delegate: A legislator who votes according to the views of constituents regardless of personal beliefs. · Trustee: A legislator who acts according to her or his conscience and the broad interests of the entire society. · Politico: A legislator who votes according to both the views of constituents and according to his own judgments.|
· Functions of Government:|(1) Lawmaking—charged with making binding rules for all Americans. (2) Constituent service—individual members of Congress are expected by their constituents to act as brokers between private citizens and the imposing, often faceless federal government: • Ombudsperson—a person who hears and investigates complaints by private individuals against public officials or agencies. • Casework—personal work for constituents by members of Congress. • E.G., such as tracking down a missing social security check, • E.G., explaining the meaning of particular bills to people who may be affected by them. (3) Representing— • as personal judgment. • as an instructed delegate—who uses the constituents’ judgment. • politico--as a combination of roles a trustee—who uses. (4) Oversight—It is the process by which Congress follows up on the laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the way Congress intended: For example • Committee hearings and investigations. • Changing the size of an agency’s budget; • Cross-examining high-level presidential nominees to head major agencies. (5) Public education—this is exercised whenever Congress holds public hearings, exercises oversight over the bureaucracy, or engages in committee and floor debates on such major issues as illegal drugs, etc. (6) Conflict resolution—Congress is commonly seen as an institution for resolving conflicts within American society.|(1) Lawmaking—charged with making binding rules for all of Texas. (2)