2.2 Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress

• What are congressional committees responsible for?

  Reviewing legislation
• Joint committees address common issues between the House and Senate.
• What principle governs the relationship between Congress and other branches of government?

  Separation of powers
• The Senate has the power to ratify treaties
• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government, responsible for making laws
• The House of Representatives has 435 members who serve two-year terms.
• The Senate provides equal representation for each state, with two senators per state
• The bicameral structure of Congress ensures diverse representation and careful legislative deliberation.
• The number of representatives per state in the House of Representatives is determined by population
• Senators serve six-year terms, allowing them to focus on long-term policies and strategic planning.
• What term is used to describe a legislature with two chambers?

  Bicameral
• Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution outlines the enumerated powers of Congress.
• Congress has the power to levy taxes
• The power to declare war is one of the enumerated powers of Congress.
• Stages in the legislative process of Congress

  1️⃣ Introduction of a bill

  2️⃣ Review in the committee stage

  3️⃣ Floor debate and vote in both chambers

  4️⃣ Reconciliation of differences

  5️⃣ Presidential approval or veto override
• A bill becomes law only if it is approved by both chambers of Congress and signed by the president.
• What are the primary responsibilities of Congress?

  Legislative process, oversight, budget allocation
• Order the stages of the legislative process

  1️⃣ Introduction of a bill

  2️⃣ Review in the committee stage

  3️⃣ Floor debate and vote in both chambers

  4️⃣ Reconciliation of differences

  5️⃣ Presidential approval or veto override
• The floor debate and vote in both chambers is a stage of the legislative process
• What happens if the President vetoes a bill?

  Congress can override
• Congress is a bicameral legislature.
• The Senate provides equal representation with two senators per state
• What determines the number of representatives per state in the House of Representatives?

  State population
• Senators serve six-year terms to focus on long-term policies.
• Match the chamber of Congress with its composition, term length, and representation:

  House of Representatives ↔️ 435 members ||| 2 years ||| Based on state population

  Senate ↔️ 100 members ||| 6 years ||| Two senators per state
• What is the term for the powers of Congress listed in the Constitution?

  Enumerated powers
• The enumerated powers of Congress are found in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.
• Drafting and passing laws is an enumerated power of Congress.
• Order the war powers of Congress as described in the Constitution

  1️⃣ Declare war

  2️⃣ Raise armed forces
• What does the power of taxation enable Congress to finance?

  Government operations
• War powers of Congress include declaring war and raising armies.
• What is one of the enumerated powers of Congress according to the Constitution?

  Legislation
• The Constitution grants Congress enumerated powers in Article I, Section 8
• What is Congress's power to declare war referred to as?

  War powers
• Taxation is one of the enumerated powers of Congress.
• Steps in the legislative process of Congress

  1️⃣ Introduction of a bill

  2️⃣ Review in the committee stage

  3️⃣ Floor debate and vote

  4️⃣ Reconciliation of differences

  5️⃣ Presidential approval or veto override
• During the legislative process, a bill is reviewed and amended in the committee stage.
• The President's veto can be overridden by a majority vote in both chambers of Congress.

  False
• How Congress checks the Executive and Judicial branches

  1️⃣ Congress can override a presidential veto

  2️⃣ Congress can impeach the President

  3️⃣ The Senate confirms presidential appointments

  4️⃣ Congress can create federal courts

  5️⃣ Congress can impeach judges
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed by Congress to outlaw discrimination based on race, religion, or sex.