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
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
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
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
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.
– 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
Section 2-Main Idea
Guide to Reading
Big Idea
The Constitution gives the legislative branch—Congress—the power to make laws.
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.
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.
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
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.
– Two-thirds majority needed to override veto
Section 3-Main Idea
Guide to Reading
Big Idea
The Constitution gives the legislative branch—Congress—the power to make laws.
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
– Age
– Citizenship
– Residency
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
– Agencies and resources to help Congress make decisions
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, and 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
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.”
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
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
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
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
Vocab22
pork-barrel projects
government projects and grants that primarily benefit the home district or state
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
Vocab34
pocket veto
president’s power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days
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