Legislative Branch (Unit 6, Lesson 1) Flashcards
What is the legislative branch?
Congress is the lawmaking body of our national government.
The two parts of Congress
the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Article of the Constitution that created Congress
Article 1
Kind of legislature
bicameral
Have been directly elected since the beginning
House of Reps
How the Senate helps small states
Have an equal voice
Categories of delegated powers of Congress
Financing Government (raise and collect taxes, borrow money, print money)
Regulating & Encouraging Trade and Industry (with foreign countries and states, copyrights)
Defending the Country (declare war, maintain army)
Creating Lower Courts
Providing for Growth (immigration, admission of new states)
Impeachment
Congress can impeach, or bring to trial, federal officials charged with serious crimes.
Where impeachment charges are drawn up
House of Reps
Where impeachment trial takes place
Senate
Number of members of House of Reps
435
This can change the number of Reps per state
Census
Term length of House of Reps
2 years
When House of Reps are elected
November of even years
What House of Reps are serving
District in a state
Age qualification for House of Reps
25
Citizenship requirement for House of Reps
7 years
Residency requirement for House of Reps
Legal resident of state they represent
Name special powers of House of Reps
All bills to raise money start here
Can impeach officials
Chooses the president if no one gets enough electoral votes
Number of members of Senate per state
2
Total members of Senate
100
How often election for Senate
1/3 elected every 2 years
Term length of Senate
6 years
What Senate serves
Entire state
Age requirement for Senate
30
Citizenship requirement for Senate
9 years
Residency requirement for Senate
Legal resident of state they represent
Name special powers of Senate
Impeachment trials held here
Chooses the Vice President if not enough electoral votes
All treaties are approved with ⅔ vote
Certain high officials must be approved by Senate with majority vote
Person who presides over House of Reps
Speaker of the House
Person who presides over Senate
Vice President
Person who presides over Senate in place of Vice President
President Pro Tempore
Duties of the Speaker of the House
The Speaker of the House is in line to take on the presidency if needed. The Speaker also decides the speaking list, or who will debate on the floor of the House, and assigns bills to committees. The Speaker makes committee assignments, which every member must serve on.
Duties of President of Senate
The President of the Senate directs debate but only votes if there is a tie. The President Pro Tempore can vote, however.
Majority party
the political party that has more members elected in each house.
Minority party
the political party that has fewer members elected in each house.
Whip
A whip is a person who circulates the floor and keeps party members committed to voting along party lines. There are whips for the majority and minority party.
Current Vice President
Joseph R Biden, Jr.
Current President Pro Tempore
Patrick Leahy
Current Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell
Current Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid
Current Majority Whip
Richard Durbin
Current Minority Whip
John Comyn
Based on what you see in the Senate, which party is the majority?
D - Democrat
Current Speaker of the House
John Boehner
Current Majority Leader of House
Eric Cantor
Current Minority Leader of House
Nancy Pelosi
Current Majority Whip of House
Kevin McCarthy
Current Minority Whip of House
Steny Hoyer
Based on what you see in the House, which party is the majority?
R- Republican
What do committees do?
Committees are the power centers of Congress. When a bill is being considered in committee, lawmakers listen to supporters and opponents, work out compromises, and decide if a bill will have a chance to become law.
What are the kinds of committees?
Standing committees. These include subcommittees that specialize.
Select or temporary committees
Joint committees made of House and Senate members
Conference committees to resolve differing versions of a House and Senate bill
What will a committee do if it likes a bill?
Ask executive agencies for written comments
Hold hearings to gather information
Make changes to language or add to the bill
Send it back to the full Senate with a report
Describe the process of making a law
- The Proposal
- The Introduction/Sent to Committee
- The Report
- Floor Debate
- The Vote
- The Delivery to Other House
- To The President
