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Chapter Introduction

Section 1: How Congress Is Organized

Section 2: Powers of Congress

Section 3: Representing the People

Section 4: How a Bill Becomes a Law

Visual Summary

Chapter Intro 1

Our nation’s Constitution gives the power to make laws to the legislative branch. Citizens participate in the lawmaking process by expressing their views to Congress. Find out what legislation is pending in Congress and your representatives’ positions on the issues.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 1: How Congress Is Organized

The Constitution gives the legislative branch—Congress—the power to make laws. In Congress, members of each party select their own leaders and work mainly in committees to carry out their duties.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 2: Powers of Congress

The Constitution gives the legislative branch—Congress—the power to make laws. While the Constitution limits the powers of Congress, it also gives Congress the powers it needs to conduct its business and to accomplish its goals.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 3: Representing the People

The Constitution gives the legislative branch—Congress—the power to make laws. Congress employs many staffers who help with the workload.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 4: How a Bill Becomes a Law

The Constitution gives the legislative branch—Congress—the power to make laws. Several complex steps are involved in taking an idea and turning it into a law.

Section 1-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

The Constitution gives the legislative branch—Congress—the power to make laws.

Section 1-Key Terms

Guide to Reading

Content Vocabulary

• bicameral

• census

• constituent

• gerrymander

• majority party

• minority party

• standing committee

• seniority

Academic Vocabulary

• occur • adjust

Section 1

A Bicameral Legislature

Congress is the legislative, or lawmaking, branch of government.

Section 1

A Bicameral Legislature (cont.)

• Congress is a bicameral legislative body.

• Two-year terms for each Congress

• 2 sessions in each term

• January – November or December

Section 1

A Bicameral Legislature (cont.)

• The House of Representatives:

– Voting members according to population

– Representation based on each 10-year census

– At least one congressional district per state

– 435 members of the House of Reps

– Elected every two years

Section 1

A Bicameral Legislature (cont.)

– District size based on number of constituents

– Gerrymander shapes districts to help a particular group

Congressional Apportionment, Selected Years

Section 1

A Bicameral Legislature (cont.)

• The Senate:

– Six-year terms

– No more than one-third up for re-election at one time

– 100 Senators (2 for each state)

– Elected every 6 years

Section 1

A Bicameral Legislature (cont.)

• Both the House and the Senate have majority and minority parties.

– Leader of majority party in the House is the Speaker.

– Steer legislation

– Leads floor debates

– Next in line for President

– Leader of the Senate is the vice president of the United States.

Section 1

Committee Work

Much of the actual work of legislating is performed by committees and subcommittees within Congress.

Section 1

Committee Work (cont.)

• Each house of Congress has a system of committees to handle the bills proposed to become laws.

• Standing committees for specific areas

– Agriculture

– Budget

– Veterans’ Affairs

Standing Committees

Section 1

Committee Work (cont.)

• Temporary committees for special issues

• Both House and Senate members on joint committees

• Committee assignments based on seniority

• Senators and Representatives that have been there the longest get preferred committee spots

Section 2-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

The Constitution gives the legislative branch—Congress—the power to make laws.

Section 2-Key Terms

Guide to Reading

Content Vocabulary

• expressed powers

• implied powers

• elastic clause

• impeach

• writ of habeas corpus

• bill of attainder

• ex post facto law

Academic Vocabulary

• regulate

Section 2

Legislative Powers

The Constitution provides that all powers to make laws for the United States government shall be given to Congress.

Section 2

Legislative Powers (cont.)

• Most of Congress’s powers are related to making laws.

• Expressed and implied powers

Section 2

Legislative Powers (cont.)

• Expressed powers in Constitution

– Coin money

– Support troops

– Regulate commerce

– Dealing with foreign countries

– Collect taxes

Powers of Congress

Section 2

Legislative Powers (cont.)

• Implied powers not clearly stated in Constitution

– Allow “necessary and proper” actions by Congress

– Clause 18 is often called the elastic clause.

– Ex. – clause 4 implies that congress can pass bankruptcy laws

Powers of Congress

Section 2

Nonlegislative Powers

The Constitution gives Congress a number of nonlegislative duties.

Section 2

Nonlegislative Powers (cont.)

• Most nonlegislative powers of Congress are used to check the other branches of government.

• Sole authority to impeach

• Only Congress can declare war

Section 2

Nonlegislative Powers (cont.)

• Limits to powers:

– Cannot suspend the writ of habeas corpus

– Banned from passing bills of attainder

– Cannot pass ex post facto laws

Section 2

Nonlegislative Powers (cont.)

• Checks and balances from other branches of government:

– Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional.

– President can veto bills.

Section 3-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

The Constitution gives the legislative branch—Congress—the power to make laws.

Section 3-Key Terms

Guide to Reading

Content Vocabulary

• franking privilege

• lobbyist

• casework

• pork-barrel project

Academic Vocabulary

• draft

• complex

• estimate

Section 3

Qualifications and Privileges

The Constitution sets forth the qualifications for election to the House and to the Senate.

Section 3

Qualifications and Privileges (cont.)

• The work of Congress requires many people in addition to the representatives and senators.

Section 3

Qualifications and Privileges (cont.)

• Different qualifications for serving as congressperson or senator

– Senator

– 30 years old, live in the State you represent, have been a US citizen for at least 9 years

– Representative

– 25 years old, live in the District you represent, have been a US citizen for 7 years

Section 3

Qualifications and Privileges (cont.)

• Privileges and benefits:

– $162,500 annual salary

– Franking privilege for sending work-related mail free

– Legal protection in certain situations

– Low-cost life insurance

Section 3

Qualifications and Privileges (cont.)

• Staff to help Congress:

– Personal staff to handle press and lobbyists

– Committee staff to draft bills and gather information

– Three major support services

– Library of Congress, General Accounting Office, Congressional Budget Office

Section 3

Congress at Work

The 535 members of Congress have several different but closely related roles.

Section 3

Congress at Work (cont.)

• While in session, Congress performs three important functions:

• Lawmaking

• Casework

• helping the district or state.

Section 3

Congress at Work (cont.)

• Making laws:

– Write and introduce bills

– Listen to input of people for and against a bill

– Vote on the floor of the House or Senate

Section 3

Congress at Work (cont.)

• Casework to address requests from constituents

• Pork-barrel projects to provide federal funding for home districts and states

Section 4-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

The Constitution gives the legislative branch—Congress—the power to make laws.

Section 4-Key Terms

Guide to Reading

Content Vocabulary

• joint resolution

• special-interest group

• filibuster

• cloture

• voice vote

• standing vote

• roll-call vote

• veto

• pocket veto

Section 4-Key Terms

Guide to Reading

Academic Vocabulary

• element • category

Section 4

Bills Congress Considers

Congress considers several different kinds of legislation each year. Most pieces of legislation are in the form of bills.

Section 4

Bills Congress Considers (cont.)

• Only about one percent of all bills proposed during a Congressional session become laws.

Section 4

Bills Congress Considers (cont.)

• Private and public bills:

– Private concerns of people or places

– Public apply to entire nation and are more general

Section 4

Bills Congress Considers (cont.)

• Joint resolutions become law if signed by president

Section 4

From Bill to Law

To become a law, a bill must be passed in identical form by both chambers of Congress.

Section 4

From Bill to Law (cont.)

• A bill must be introduced by a representative or senator before it can be considered by Congress.

• The idea for the bill can come from private citizens, the White House, or from special-interest groups.

Section 4

From Bill to Law (cont.)

• Bills that are introduced are sent to standing committees:

– Can pass the bill

– Can mark up the bill with changes

– Can replace the original bill

– Can ignore the bill

– Can kill the bill outright by majority vote

Section 4

From Bill to Law (cont.)

• If passed in committee, bill is sent to floor for debate

• Senate filibuster

• Filibuster can end if three-fifths of the members vote for cloture.

Profile of the 109th Congress

Section 4

From Bill to Law (cont.)

• Voting on a bill:

– Voice vote

– Standing vote

– Roll-call vote

• Presidential veto

• Pocket veto

How a Bill Becomes Law

VS 1

Comparing the House and the Senate

The Congress of the United States was created by Article I, Section 1, of the Constitution, providing that “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.”

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TIME Trans

DFS Trans 1

DFS Trans 2

California; it has more representatives than any other state listed.

DFS Trans 3

DFS Trans 4

Vocab1

bicameral

a legislature consisting of two parts, or houses

Vocab2

census

a population count taken by the Census Bureau

Vocab3

constituent

a person from a legislator’s district

Vocab4

gerrymander

an oddly shaped district designed to increase the voting strength of a particular group

Vocab5

majority party

in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the political party to which more than half the members belong

Vocab6

minority party

in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the political party to which fewer than half the members belong

Vocab7

standing committees

permanent committees that continue their work from session to session in Congress

Vocab8

seniority

years of service, which is used as a consideration for assigning committee members

Vocab9

occur

to happen or take place

Vocab10

adjust

to change or alter in order to fit or conform

Vocab11

expressed powers

powers that Congress has that are specifically listed in the Constitution

Vocab12

implied powers

powers that Congress has that are not stated explicitly in the Constitution

Vocab13

elastic clause

clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution that gives Congress the right to make all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out its expressed powers

Vocab14

impeach

to accuse government officials of misconduct in office

Vocab15

writ of habeas corpus

a court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person

Vocab16

bill of attainder

a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court

Vocab17

ex post facto law

a law that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed

Vocab18

regulate

to control or govern

Vocab19

franking privilege

the right of senators and representatives to send job-related mail without paying postage

Vocab20

lobbyist

representative of an interest group who contacts lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making

Vocab21

casework

the work that a lawmaker does to help constituents with a problem

Vocab22

pork-barrel projects

government projects and grants that primarily benefit the home district or state

Vocab23

draft

to create an outline

Vocab24

complex

complicated or intricate

Vocab25

estimate

to judge the approximate nature, value, quality, or amount of a thing

Vocab26

joint resolution

a resolution that is passed by both houses of Congress

Vocab27

special-interest group

an organization of people with some common interest who try to influence government decisions

Vocab28

filibuster

a tactic for defeating a bill in the Senate by talking until the bill’s sponsor withdraws it

Vocab29

cloture

a procedure used in the Senate to limit debate on a bill

Vocab30

voice vote

a voting method in which those in favor say “Yea” and those against say “No”

Vocab31

standing vote

in Congress, when members stand to be counted for a vote on a bill

Vocab32

roll-call vote

a voting method in the Senate in which members voice their votes in turn

Vocab33

veto

refusal to sign a bill or resolution

Vocab34

pocket veto

president’s power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days

Vocab35

element

a component of a whole

Vocab36

category

a division or grouping used to classify something

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