FINALS

• Legislature


  • Primary representative institution within a democratic society
  • Primary means for the definition and enactment of law and public policy
  • Serves as an arena within which needs are articulated and a public forum for all points of view, reflecting the major division in society
• Bicameral legislature


  • Two chambers (or houses) that have broadly equal powers, perform equal functions, and have equal responsibility
  • Merits include the representation of different classes and groups, providing checks and balances, and ensuring the deliberation of legislative measures
• Legislative power


  Authority under the constitution to make, alter, and repeal laws
• Laws


  • Statutes, which are the written enactments of the legislature
  • A rule of conduct, just, or obligation promulgated by the competent authority for the common good of a people or nation, which constitutes an obligatory rule of conduct for all its members
• Committee system


  • Committees are small work groups of members set up in almost all legislative bodies and established on a subject basis
  • Reducing the otherwise unmanageable volume of work of members of the legislature
  • Allow some degree of specialization among members
  • Workshops on lawmaking
  • Hold hearings to obtain information and publicize issues
• Functions of the legislature

  • Make detailed consideration of legislative measures
  • Examine financial proposals
  • Scrutinize government administration and past expenditures
  • Investigate matters of public concern
• Representational function


  The legislature should be a body acting slowly and deliberately, and its foremost concern should be to maintain a carefully crafted balance of power among competing interests
• Trustee view


  Legislatures should act as trustees of the broad interests of the entire society, and they should vote against the narrow interests of their constituents as their conscience and their perception of national needs dictate
• Instructed: delegate view


  Legislatures should behave according to what their constituents dictate
• Lawmaking function


  • Legislation is the process of making laws, amending them, or repealing them
  • Legislation involves the formulation, initiation, deliberation, discussion, and review of policies
• Functions of laws


  • Define the rights and duties of citizens
  • Impose taxes
  • Appropriate funds
  • Define crimes and provide for their punishment
  • Create and abolish government offices
  • Determine their jurisdiction and functions
  • Regulate human conduct and the use of property
• Bill


  A proposed law; a draft of a law submitted for consideration by a legislative body for adoption
• Steps in the passage of a bill

  1. 1st reading

  2. Referral to the appropriate committee

  3. Second reading

  4. Debates

  5. Printing and distribution

  6. Third reading

  7. Referral to the other house

  8. Submission to join the bicameral committee

  9. Submission to the president
• Statute


  • The written will of the legislature
  • An "Act" is used to refer to a statute
  • Identified by their serial numbers
• Formal parts of a law (statute or bill)


  • Title
  • Preamble
  • Enacting clause
  • Body
  • Effective clause
• When a bill becomes a law

  • When the president approves the bill by signing it
  • A vote of two-thirds of all the members of both houses
  • The president does not communicate his veto within 30 days after the date of receipt
• Legislative oversight function


  • Oversight is the process by which the legislature follows up on the laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the way the legislature intended
  • Done through legislative inquiries and investigations of governmental operations
  • Legislative oversight can be a very effective check on the executive and the bureaucracy
• System maintenance function


  • Legislation serves as a good training ground for future leaders or for future members of the executive branch
  • Members of the legislature form a pool of talents, experiences, and ambitions from which leading decision-makers emerge
  • In multimember institutions, seats are apportioned among different groups, thereby facilitating integration at the mass level
  • Mass-learning integration takes place
• Classification of powers of Congress

  • General legislative power
  • Specific powers
  • Implied powers
  • Inherent powers
• The Senate


  • Composition and election: 24 senators
  • Terms of office: 6 years
• Qualifications for the Senate

  • Natural-born citizen
  • At least 35 years of age
  • Able to read and write
  • A registered voter
  • Resident of the Philippines for not less than 2 years
• The House of Representatives

  • Composition and election/selection: No more than 250 members, elected from legislative or congressional districts and through a party-list system
  • Term of office: 3 years
• Qualifications for the House of Representatives

  • Natural-born citizen
  • At least 25 years of age
  • Able to read and write
  • A registered voter
  • Resident of the district for not less than 1 year
• Sessions of Congress


  • Regular session
  • Special session
  • Executive sessions
  • Closing session
• Officers of Congress


  Election of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives: Majority vote of all its respective members
• Quorum


  • The number that makes a lawful body
  • At least one-half plus one of the members of the body
• Budget


  • Financial program of the national government for a designated calendar year
  • Statements of estimated receipts from revenues and expenditures
  • Prepared by the president
  • Submitted to Congress, intended as a guide
  • Determine governmental activities and how public funds should be spent
• The president's veto power

  • "I forbid" or "deny"
  • Power to disapprove of acts passed by Congress
• Executive title


  • The chief executive is invariably called President
  • President as "CHIEF EXECUTIVE" not a legislative leader with membership in Congress
• Executive power


  Power to execute and administer the law
• Budget


  Statements of estimated receipts from revenues and expenditures for a designated calendar year
• Budget


  Prepared by the president and submitted to Congress, intended as a guide
• Budget


  Determine governmental activities and how public funds should be spent
• Veto power


  "I forbid" or "deny" - Power to disapprove of acts passed by Congress
• Executive topics


  • Executive title
  • Executive origin
  • Executive survival
  • Executive cabinet authority
  • Executive integration into the legislature
• Executive title


  The chief executive is invariably called President, not a legislative leader with membership in Congress
• Executive power


  Power to administer laws
• Executive origin


  How the chief executive is selected or how the chief executive office is filled
• Qualifications of the President and Vice President

  • Natural-born citizen
  • Registered voter
  • Able to read and write
  • At least 40 years of age on the day of the election
  • A resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years
• Election of the President and Vice-President


  System of direct voting, election by Congress in case of ties, vote of a majority of all the members of Congress in session assembled