Government

• Congress The two groups are the Senate and House of Representatives
• How often are members of the House elected?

  
  

  Members are chosen every second year by the people of the several states
• Qualifications to be a member of the House


  No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen
• Determining the number of representatives per state

  The number of representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at least one representative
• Leading officer in the House


  The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole power of impeachment
• How the Speaker of the House is chosen

  The majority party nominates a candidate and if they happen to receive the majority of the votes they are elected as the Speaker
• Mike Johnson is currently the Speaker of the House
• Power to make impeachment charges

  The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment
• How often are members of the Senate elected

  The members of the state are elected every sixth year, with approximately one third of the senate up for election every two years
• Qualifications to be a member of the Senate

  The official qualifications necessary to be a member of the senate is you have to be the age of 30 and been a citizen of the U.S for nine years, and must be an inhabitant of the state for which they were to be chosen
• Determining the number of senators per state

  The Senate of the United States shall have two senators per state
• President of the Senate

  The Vice President of the U.S shall be President of the Senate
• Kamala Harris is the President of the Senate
• Jury in impeachment cases


  In impeachment cases, the Senate acts as the jury. They have the sole power to try all impeachments
• Andrew Johnson 1989, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Donald John Trump in 2019-21 have been impeached
• Vacancy in the House

  When vacancies happen in the representation from any state, the Executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies
• Vacancy in the Senate


  In the event of a Vacancy in the Senate, the governor will appoint a replacement to serve until a special election is held
• Where revenue (spending) bills begin


  All bills for raising revenues begin in the House of Representatives
• Overriding a Presidential veto

  If the president vetoes (denies) a bill it can still become a law if two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate vote to override the vote
• Standing committee


  Small permanent group of legislators who study and report on bills, can send bill back, make changes, or table it
• Bill introduced on House/Senate floor

  May be approved by majority vote or denied, then sent to other chamber
• Bill passed through one chamber


  Voted on, if passed sent to other chamber, if either chamber doesn't pass it dies
• Filibuster


  Attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill by debating at length
• Cloture


  Procedure to limit consideration of a bill and overcome a filibuster, requires 3/5 of Senate
• Conference Committee


  Temporary joint body to iron out differences in a bill and produce a compromise
• Options when bill reaches President

  • Sign the bill
  • Veto the bill
  • Allow bill to become law without signing
  • Pocket veto
• Overriding a Presidential veto

  Requires 2/3 vote in both House and Senate
• What happens to a bill once it is introduced on the floor of the House or Senate?

  1. Introduced on the floor

  2. May be approved by a majority vote or denied

  3. Sent to the other houses
• What happens to a bill once it is passed through one of the houses of Congress?

  1. Voted on

  2. If passed, it is then sent to the other chambers unless that chamber already has a similar measure under consideration

  3. If either chamber doesn't pass the bill then it dies
• Expressed power


  Power explicitly stated in the specific wording
• Implied power


  Power derived by reasonable deduction from expressed powers
• Inherent power


  Power of creating a national government for the United States
• The constitution gives congress the power "to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States."
• Limits on Congressional power to tax

  • Only for public purposes
  • Cannot tax exports
  • Direct taxes must be distributed according to population (except income tax)
  • Indirect taxes must be levied at the same rate in each state (gasoline, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco)
• Borrowing power of Congress

  • Gives congress the power to borrow Money on the credit of the United States
  • No limit in the amount of money Congress may borrow
  • No restriction on the purpose for borrowing
• Budget Deficit


  Annual Spending - Annual Income
• National Debt


  Each year's deficit added together plus interest
• Necessary and Proper Clause

  • To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or officer thereof
  • This clause is the constitutional basis for implied powers
  • Makes the Constitution adaptable and applicable to the present
  • Also known as the "elastic clause" because it has greatly stretched Congressional Power
• Legislator


  A person who writes and passes laws
• A member of Congress acts as a trustee by making decisions based on its merits