Structure of Congress
What are the requirements to be elected to the House of Representatives?
1. must be 25 years old
2. must be a US citizen for 7 years
3. must be a resident of the state
What are expressed powers?
Powers that are written in the constitution
How long does each session of Congress last?
one year
How does a bill become a law?
1. Idea is given to a Senator or Representative 2. Introduced to Congress 3. Sent to standing committee 4.Bill is debated 5. If the House and Senate pass different versions of the bill a conference committee is called 6. final bill sent to President
7. President can sign it, veto it or do nothing for 10 days
What is a pocket veto?
used by the President when Congress is not in session to kill a bill – doesn’t sign for 10 days
How do they determine the number of Representatives in the House per state?
Based on the census (counting of people) that is done every 10 years
What are examples of expressed powers?
Power to:
1. collect taxes. 2. borrow money. 3. declare war 4. coin money. 5. regulate trade. 6. establish laws of naturalization (citizenship)
What is a role of the Senate?
Approve or reject presidential appointments
What is a constituent?
A person who lives in a representative’s district
How many votes are needed to override a Presidential veto?
2/3s of the members of the House and the Senate must vote to pass the vetoed bill for it to become law
What are the requirements to become a Senator?
1. must be at least 30 years old
2. must have a citizen for at least 9 years
3. must be a resident of the state
What are implied powers?
Powers that are not specifically stated
Who is the leader of the Senate?
The Vice President
What is a filibuster?
What does it mean to pigeonhole a bill?
To set it to the side or on the bottom of a pile – basically killing it
How do they make sure most (2/3s) of the Senators are experienced?
Every two years 1/3 of the Senators are up for re-election
What are examples of implied powers?
1. Maintaining the Federal Reserve
2. Instituting a draft
3. Regulating the number of immigrants
Who handles the day to day leadership of the Senate?
The President Pro Tempore
What is a cloture?
-a vote used to end a filibuster
How many members does the House of Representatives have?
435
What are some roles of the House of Representatives?
What does the Necessary and Proper Clause do?
Gives Congress the ability to stretch it’s power
What is the seniority system?
The system used in the House and the Senate to determine committee assignments.
Number of years served is a factor
What happens if the President doesn’t sign a bill within 10 days when Congress IS in session?
The bill becomes law
How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
2 years