The Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch Program Overview

The formal job of the legislative branch is to make law. The national legislature, or Congress, meets in the U.S. Capitol on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. It is composed of two parts or houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The former body represents citizens on the basis of states, with two senators per state; the latter represents citizens on the basis of congressional districts, of which there are 435, with at least one per state. Congress also manages the nation’s purse strings by passing the federal budget and oversees the other branches of government.

There are certain requirements for becoming a national lawmaker. Senators must be at least 30 years old, U.S. citizens for at least 9 years and inhabitants of the states that elect them. Members of the House must be 25 years old, U.S. citizens for at least 7 years and residents of the states they represent, although custom dictates that most members live in the districts that elect them.

A system of checks and balances ensures that each branch of government keeps watch over the others. In this way, each branch of government is less likely to abuse its power. Thus, only Congress can declare war, but the President is commander in chief of the armed forces. Congress can impeach and try members of both the executive and judicial branches if they are accused of misbehavior. The President can also veto congressional bills sent to his or her desk to be signed into law, but Congress can override presidential vetoes by a two thirds vote in each house.

In a single session, some 10,000 bills may be introduced to Congress. Congressional committees are created to consider the proposed bills. Some bills are passed by both houses of Congress and become laws, but many bills die a quiet death in committee, where they are “tabled” and never brought to the floor of either house. The work of Congress represents the legislative branch, the branch that shapes ideas into laws! The Legislative Branch Vocabulary legislative branch — The branch of American government that makes the law.

U.S. Congress — The legislative body established by the U.S. Constitution that meets in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. and is composed of two parts, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

U.S. Senate — One of two legislative bodies that make up the U.S. Congress. The Senate is composed of 100 members elected two per state for six-year terms.

U.S. House of Representatives — One of two legislative bodies that make up the U.S. Congress. The House is composed of 435 members elected by legally established congressional districts, with at least one per state, based upon population. Representatives are elected for two-year terms. congressional districts — Areas within each state from which members of the U.S. House of Representatives are elected. executive branch — The branch of American government that carries out, or executes, the law judicial branch — The branch of American government that interprets and applies the law. checks and balances — The system of sharing powers among the three branches of the national government so that no branch can abuse its powers. impeachment — A formal charge brought against a public official by the House of Representatives. The official is then tried in the Senate, and if convicted, removed from office. veto — The power of the President to refuse to sign a bill passed by Congress. Congress can pass the bill despite the President’s veto if two thirds of the members present from each house approve. congressional committees — Groups of representatives or senators assigned to consider proposed legislation or other subjects such as justice and foreign affairs. Committees also oversee executive agencies and departments. joint committees — Specially appointed bodies composed of members of both the House and Senate for varying purposes, such as gathering information, conducting investigations, overseeing executive agencies or departments and proposing legislation. president pro tempore — The U.S. Senator chosen by the Senate to preside when the Vice President, who is constitutionally designated to preside over the Senate, is absent.

Speaker of the House — The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and leader of the majority party in the House. majority leaders — Members of the House and Senate chosen by the majority political party as leaders. Responsibilities of the leaders include bringing legislation to the floor of their respective house, planning legislative strategy and communicating with the public through the press on the legislative issues of the day. majority whips — Members of the House and Senate chosen by the majority political party as leaders. Responsibilities of the whips include influencing members of their party to be present on the floor of Congress to vote on key pieces of legislation or on key issues. filibuster — Practice in the U.S. Senate of individual senators or allied groups of senators speaking non-stop for long periods to disrupt the Senate’s business in order to block passage of a bill that they oppose. cloture — Procedure in the U.S. Senate to stop filibusters by ending debate on a bill. Cloture requires a three fifths vote of the Senate to pass. The Legislative Branch Video Response Questions

Name:______

Period:______

Date:______

During and after viewing the video, answer the questions in the space provided.

1. What is the legislative branch of government?

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2. Where do the ideas for laws come from?

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3. Where does federal lawmaking take place?

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4. What are the two houses of Congress?

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5. What is the system of checks and balances? Provide some examples of this system in action.

______6. Why were two houses of Congress created at the Constitutional Convention in 1787?

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7. How is membership in the House of Representatives and Senate determined?

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8. How many members are there in each body?

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9. What are the eligibility requirements for both houses of Congress?

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10. What is impeachment, and what are the roles of both houses of Congress in the impeachment process?

______11. What is a presidential veto?

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12. What is the congressional committee system, and what functions does it perform?

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13. What roles do congressional leaders play, and what is their relation to political parties?

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14. What is a filibuster, and how can it be blocked?

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15. How can people influence the decisions of the U.S. Congress?

______Short Answer/Essay

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution states that Congress shall have power to declare war. However, many undeclared wars have been waged since the 20th century. Do you think Presidents should be able to conduct a war without having Congress declare it? Why or why not? Is this as a constitutional problem?

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