Legislative Branch Flashcards
Congress is made up of……
The House of Representatives and the Senate
What is the legislative branch’s main job?
To make laws
Congress begins meeting when?
On the third day of January every odd numbered year.
The meetings are called?
Terms
How long do the House of Representative terms last?
Two years with a break during the summer.
When did the first term of Congress meet?
1789-1791
How many Senators are in the Senate?
100
How many representatives are in the House of Representatives?
435
The Congress can expel a member by what kind of vote?
A 2/3 vote
What is a Congressional Record?
A record kept of all the meetings in Congress, and is published.
Privileges of the members of Congress
- Cannot be arrested when going to or from Congress, or while attending a session of Congress
- A member cannot be sued or punished for anything said in Congress
Filibuster
Can only be done in Senate, purpose is to stall a vote from coming to the floor
What is the only house able to introduce a money bill?
The House of Representatives
Quorum
The requirement for there to be at least one over half of the members there to meet (applies to both houses)
Census
A population count taken every ten years to determine both population and how many representatives each state gets
Requirements to be a member of the House of Representatives
Must be at least 25 years of age, be a US citizen for at least 7 years, and live in the state elected for
Speaker of the House
Current: John Boehner
He is the presiding officer, selected by members of the house, second in line for presidency (after the Vice President ), usually a member of the majority part
The House of Representatives begin the impeachment process by
Accusing the official of wrong doing or misuse of powe
We live in what District
District 14
Our District 14 representative is
Randy Hultgren
Who is our president protempore?
Patrick Leahy
How many senators are there per state?
There are 2
How long is a term in the Senate?
6 years
After how many years is 1/3 of the Senate up for reelection?
2 years
Requirements for Senate
- 30 years and older
- Citizen of US for at least 9 years
- live in the state represented
In the impeachment process what does the Senate do?
They hold a trial and act as a jury, they vote for impeachment
What are the Vice President’s duties in the Senate?
He is in charge of all meetings in the Senate. Can only vote in case of a tie between senators.
Who holds the meetings if the Vice President is absent?
The president protempore
Expels means
To remove
Adjourn means
To stop meeting
What is the elastic clause?
The power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper
What are the powers of Congress as written in the Constitution?
Power to tax, borrow money, regulate trade, naturalization, coin money, establish a system of weight and measurement, establish a post office, declare war, and provide a military
3 types of powers to Congress
Enumerated powers, implied powers, and inherent powers
Enumerated powers
Powers given to Congress by the government, SPECIFICALLY listed in the Constitution
Implied Powers
General powers given to Congress, they are stated, but not enough information is given in the Constitution about details
Inherent powers
Unlisted powers that a government must have simply because it exists as a government and needs to run its affairs smoothly. (Best example is foreign affairs)
Habeas Corpus
Means “you shall have the body”. This right allows a person to be seen and heard in a courtroom by a judge.
Bills of Attainer
Outlawed by Constitution. It is a law passed by the government that convicts a person of a crime and punishes them without a trial.
Ex Post Facto law
These cannot be passed by Congress. This law punishes people for a crime that was not a crime at the time.
Other limits on Congress
Cannot tax products from a state, cannot give preference to any state’s seaport, government money can only be spent by passing a law, cannot issue titles of nobility
Naturalization
The process by which one can become a US citizens
Certain limits on the states
- Cannot make treaties with other countries
- Cannot coin their own money
- Have same limits that are put on Congress
Powers of government are put in three categories
Delegated, concurrent, and reserved powers
Delegated powers
Powers that are given to the national government in Washington D.C
Concurrent powers
Powers that are shared between the national and state governments
Reserved powers
Powers only given to state governments
Majority
Means one over half, or the larger group of politicians
Minority
The smaller group of politicians
Fraction needed to override a veto
2/3 of Congress
What can the President do when a bill gets to him?
Sign it (it’s now a law), pocket veto (not sign or veto after ten days after Congress adjourns, bill dies), veto, (bill dies), ignores after ten days while Congress is in session (now a law)
What does the Preamble do?
Introduces us to the Constitution’s main cause, which is to create our own government with freedom built into it
What is the current term and session of Congress?
113th term, 2nd session
