Legislative Branch Flashcards
What is the minimum age to become a Representative?
25 years old.
How long does a person have to be a US citizen before they can be a Representative?
7 years.
Does the Representative have to live in the state they are elected from?
Yes.
What determines the number of Representative a state receives?
Its population.
What determines the number of Senators a state receives?
The Constitution declares all states get 2 Senators.
What is the minimum age to become a Senator?
30 years old
How long does a person have to be a US citizen before they can be a Senator?
9 years.
What is the main job of the Legislative Branch?
To make laws.
Who is third in line for the President’s position.
Speaker of the House.
Who is in charge of the House of Representatives?
Speaker of the House.
How does the Speaker of the House receive his/her position?
Whichever party has the most Representatives vote for their leader (The Speaker of the House).
Who is in charge of the Senate?
The Vice-President.
Define impeachment.
To abuse ones power.
Who bring charges of impeachment against an official?
The Representatives.
Who is the jury during an impeachment trial against an official?
The Senators.
What happens if the Senate votes in favor of impeachment?
The official loses his or her position in the government.
Who presents to Congress an idea for a bill (law)?
A Representative or Senator.
Once a bill has been discussed in a committee what percent vote has to approve the bill in order for it to be voted on in Congress?
51%; a majority.
Once a bill has been discussed in the House of Representatives, what percent vote has to approve the bill in order for it to go to the Senate?
51%; a majority.
Once a bill has been discussed in the Senate , what percent vote has to approve the bill in order for it to go to the House of Representatives?
51%; a majority.
If both houses in Congress vote to pass a bill, what is the next step?
It goes to the President.
The President has three choices when a bill has passed Congress. What are these three choices?
The President can sign the bill into law.
The President can ignore the bill and it goes into law in 10 days (Pocket Veto).
The President can veto the bill.
What happens to a bill that the President has vetoed?
It goes back to Congress for a re-vote.
Congress has to achieve what percent vote to pass a Presidential vetoed bill?
66% (2/3)
What is Ex Post Facto?
If a law is created after a crime has been committed; people who committed the crime BEFORE the law was enacted cannot be charged with a crime.
