Chapter 5Chapter 5Chapter 5Chapter 5

Legislative BranchLegislative Branch

Congress• Bicameral = two houses• Senate• House of Representatives• Law-making body

Bicameral

• Why do we need two houses of Congress?

Answer

• Bicameral Congress provides fair representation:– Senate = every state has 2 senators– House of Rep = based on pop of state

House of Representatives

• Based on Population• 435 members• Every 10 years a census determines

how many rep. each state has• Apportioned= how seats are given• 2 year term

Districts• Voters elect rep. from their

districts• District lines are supposed to be

drawn equally• Gerrymandering is the practice of

drawing district lines to favor one party or group

Senate• Smaller house = 2 from each state• 6 year term• Elected in Nov. of even number years• 1/3 of Senators are up for election

every two years• If die, governor appoints new Senator

Term Limits• Idea that Congressmen should be

limited to a certain amount of times they can serve.

• Found to be Unconstitutional

Requirements: House of Representatives

• 1. 25 years old• 2. U.S. citizen for at least 7 years• 3. Legal resident of the state they

represent

Requirements of Senate

• 1. 30 years old• 2. citizen for 9 years• 3. Legal resident of the state they

represent

$$$$$ and benefits• Salary= $165,200 yearly• Free trips to home states• Provide office staff• Franking privilege= mail for free• Immunity= cannot be arrested

going to or coming from meeting of Congress

Rules of Conduct• Congress may refuse to seat

someone• Congressmen must follow a code of

conduct• Expulsion= permanent removal• Censure= formal disapproval, must

stand before Congress and hear charges

Review ????s• 1. How old do you have to be to

be a Senator? Representative?• 2. What does Bicameral mean?• 3. How many members are in the

House of Rep? Senate?

Review ??????s

• 4. What helps decide how many rep each state has?

• 5. What is gerrymandering• 6. How much do Congressmen get

paid?

Review ????S• 7. What can happen when a

Congressmen behave inappropriately?

• 8. What happens when a Senator dies?

• 9. What is franking privileges?

Chapter 5

Section 2 Page 140

Terms and Sessions• Begins January 3rd of ODD number

years• Sessions means meeting of

Congress• Special session is sometimes called

by the President to solve a crisis• Joint session is when House and

Senate meet together

Organization of Congress

• House selects presiding officer• Vice President is the President of

the Senate• Senate selects leader if VP is

absent– Who is the Speaker of the House?

Organization (cont)• Caucuses are meetings that choose the

leaders of the party• Major party is the party with the most

members• Pro tempore is the president of the

Senate when VP is absent• Floor leaders are leaders of the party• Whips help party leaders

Committees• Standing committees = main

committees• Sub committees = review info and

report to standing committee• Every committee has a

chairperson

Speaker of the House• Becomes President if Pres. and VP

die• Decides what issue is called on

and what order of business the House looks at.

• Member of the majority party and selected by peers

Review ????s• 1. What is the person that helps

the majority leaders called?• 2. What committees are

permanent?• 3. The party with the most

members is called?

Review ???s• 4. Session when the House and

Senate meet together is?• 5. Who becomes President if the

Pres. and VP dies?• 6. Who is the President of the

Senate if the VP is absent?

POP Quiz• Answer the following questions on a blank

sheet of paper:• 1. How old do you have to be to be a

Senator?• 2. How old do you have to be to be a

Representative?• 3. When was the last census taken?• 4. What is the right of congressmen to mail

for free called?• 5. What is drawing district lines to favor one

party or group called?

Chapter 5

•Section 3 Page 143

Powers of Congress

Congressional Power

• Delegated Powers = power given to Congress in the Constitution Article 1 Section 8

Delegated Powers

• 1. Financing the government = Congress has the power to raise and collect taxes, borrow money, and print and coin money.

Question:

What are some things that

the government pays for?

Delegated Powers

• 2. Regulate and Encourage American Trade and Industry = pass laws to protect inventors and regulate trade.

• Why is this an important power?

Delegated Powers• 3. Defend Country = power to

declare war and maintain the military

• What countries are we currently fighting conflicts in?

Delegated Powers

• 4. Creating Lower Courts = set up national courts to enforce laws.

• What is the highest court in the U.S.?

Delegated Powers• 5. Providing for growth = regulate

immigration and naturalization and the admission of new states

Implied Powers• Necessary and Proper Clause = in

the Constitution that Congress has the duty to enact laws that are needed.

• Congress often stretches this power to include other areas this is called the elastic clause.

Impeachment Power• Impeach = to accuse officeholder

of misconduct• Congress can impeach the

President and Federal officials.• Impeachment begins in the House

and trial in Senate – 2/3 must find guilty

Impeachment

• Treason = act that betrays the country

• Only 2 presidents have been impeached: William Clinton and Andrew Johnson

Special Powers:• House

– All bills for raising $, called appropriations must begin in House

– Impeach public officials– Chooses President if no candidate

has 270 Electoral votes

Special Powers• Senate

– Impeachment trial– Choose VP– Approves treaties– High officials must be approved

Limits on Power• Reserved Powers: Powers given to

states, conduct elections, create and administer schools, establish marriage laws.

What did the people of California decide about marriage in the 2008 election?

•PAGE 146 List of Limits on Power

Review ???s

• 1. What clause says that Congress has a duty to pass laws?

• 2. Where does the impeachment process start?

• 3. What % must find an official guilty of impeachment?

Review ???s• 4. How many electoral votes does

a candidate need to be president?• 5. What two presidents have been

impeached?

Chapter 5

•Section 4 –page 148

How a Bill becomes a Law

• 1. Congress considers a bill = the bill is assigned letters and #S and printed in the Congressional Record– Bill ideas come from citizens,

lawmakers, the president, and other groups

Bill to Law

• 2. Bill is sent to committee– Standing committee = permanent

committee reviews and send bill to subcommittee to research and propose changes.

Bill to Law• 3. House Acts on Bill

– Speaker of the House determines when bill will be debated and voted on

– There is a time limit for debate– Vote if there is a majority of

attendance, quorum, passes if majority approve

Bill to Law• 4. Senate Acts on Bill

– No time limit for debate so can talk endlessly so bill will not be voted on, called a filibuster

– To end a filibuster need 3/5 vote called cloture

Conference Committee

• Sometimes 2 versions of a bill get passed, when this happens a conference committee is held with equal representatives from the House and Senate

Bill to Law

• 5. President Acts on Bill (3 options)– Sign bill into law– Veto bill = can be reversed (overturned) by

2/3 vote in Congress– Pocket Veto = President keeps bill for 10

days, if Congress is in session then it becomes law but if Congress is out of session it is vetoed

Review ???s