1. The Legislative Branch
Chapter 8:
The Legislative Branch
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

2. Chapter Links Section 1 “The Members of Congress” Section 2
“The Powers of Congress”
Section 3
“How Congress is Organized”
Section 4
“Following a Bill in Congress
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

3. “The Members of Congress”
Section 1
“The Members of Congress”
Section Outline:
The Responsibilities of Lawmaking
Members of Congress at Work
III. Representatives and Senators
IV. Requirements, Salary, and Benefits
Main Idea:
The legislative branch of the United States government is called the Congress. Laws are made by 100 Senators and 435 representatives.
Key Terms:
Constituents
Bill
Interest Group
Lobbyists
Congressional District
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4. The Responsibilities of Lawmaking
Local vs. National Needs
Members of congress are responsible to
The nation
Their constituents or the people a member of congress represents.
Their political party
Political Parties
Groups that work to get their members elected to office.
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

5. The Responsibilities of Lawmaking (cont.)
Interest Groups
Groups of people who work together to reach a common political goal.
Interest groups provide money and votes.
Lobbyists
People represent interest groups
Lobbyists try to influence way members of congress vote.
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

6. Members of Congress at Work
What Do Members of Congress Do?
Learn about issues which they must vote on.
Be present on the floor of the House or Senate chamber as much as possible.
Listen to or give speeches
Prepare bills and vote on bills
Go to many meetings
Study reports and read letters from constituents.
* icivics video
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

7. Civics: Government and Economics in Action
Representatives
Representatives
The area that a member of the House represents is called a congressional district. The state’s population determines the number of congressional districts and subsequent representatives.
There are 435 representatives; each serves a two-year term.
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

8. Senators
There are 100 senators (two for each state); each serves a six-year term.
The Seventeenth Amendment, 1913
States directly elect members of Senate

9. Requirements, Salary, and Benefits
Must live in the states in which they are elected.
Representatives must be 25 years old and have a minimum of seven years citizenship.
Senators must be 30 years old and have a minimum of nine years citizenship.
Salary (2003 figures)
Members of congress make somewhere between $154,700-$198,600 per year
Members of congress get allowances and other perks
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

10. “The Powers of Congress”
Section 2
“The Powers of Congress”
Section Outline:
Powers Given to Congress
Limits on the Powers of Congress
Main Idea:
The Constitution grants Congress the specific and general powers to make laws. The Constitution also specifies limits to those powers.
Key Terms:
Budget
Bill of Attainder
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

11. Powers Given to Congress
Promoting General Welfare
Regulation of trade and business
Example: Minimum Wage
Approval of government’s budget or plan to raise and spend money.
Providing for Defense
Establish and maintain an army and navy
To declare war
War Powers Act, The resolution was adopted in the form of a United States Congress joint resolution; this provides that the President can send U.S. armed forces into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or in case of "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces."
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

12. Powers Given to Congress (cont.)
Establishing Justice
Power to create federal courts below the Supreme Court
The Power to impeach government officials
Unlisted Powers
Congress may make all laws necessary and proper for carrying out listed power.
Example: coining money
Non-legislative Powers
Power to conduct investigations
Example: Watergate ( ) *** Video clip****
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13. Limits on the Powers of Congress
Executive and Judicial “Checks and Balance”
The Presidents may veto any law passed
“The Supreme Court may declare a law unconstitutional
Congress may not pass:
Bill of Attainder - Citizens may not be convicted without a trial
Writ of Habeus Corpus - Citizens may not be held in jail unless there is some reasonable evidence against them.
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

14. “How Congress is Organized”
Section 3
“How Congress is Organized”
Section Outline:
Leadership in Congress
Working in a Committee
The President’s Role
Main Idea:
Both houses of Congress choose leaders and assign members to committees. The committees work on bills before they are voted on. The President can sign or veto a bill.
Key Terms:
Speaker of the House
President Pro Tempore
Floor Leaders
Pocket Veto
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

15. Leadership in Congress
House: Speaker of the House
Presiding officer in the House of representatives
Senate: President Pro Tempore
The Vice President is president of the Senate
Presiding officer of the Senate, when the Vice President is absent.
Floor Leaders
The Chief officers of the majority and minority parties in each house
Assistants leaders are called whips.
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

16. Civics: Government and Economics in Action
Working in a Committee
Only Congress can introduce bills - ** not the president
Standing Committees
There are 36 total committees dedicated to certain needs, such as education or banking.
Committees and Bills
When introduced, bills go to a committee for analysis.
The committee decides whether or not the bill is to be voted on in House or Senate.
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

17. Civics: Government and Economics in Action
The President’s Role
“Every bill which shall have passed the House Representatives and the Senate…[and] Every order, resolution, or vote to which the concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives, may be necessary (except on a question of adjournment) shall be presented to the President…” –Article I, Section 7, Clause 2 and 3.
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

18. Civics: Government and Economics in Action
The President’s Role
If the President signs a bill, it becomes law
The President may veto or reject a bill by not-signing it and sending it back to Congress
Congress can override the President’s veto with 2/3 majority votes in both houses
The President may use a “pocket veto” by holding a bill while Congress ends its session.
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

19. Civics: Government and Economics in Action

20. “Following a Bill Through Congress”
Section 4
“Following a Bill Through Congress”
Section Outline:
Stopping a Bill
Compromise Bills
A Bill Dies in Committee
Main Idea:
Either party can use rules of order and procedure on the House or Senate floor to prevent a bill from being passed. Members of Congress try to compromise on controversial legislation so that they can agree to pass bills. Some bills don’t survive committee study.
Key Terms:
Filibuster
Cloture
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

21. Civics: Government and Economics in Action
Stopping a Bill
Filibuster
Use of long speeches to prevent a vote on a bill in Senate.
Opponents to a bill may use this method to stop a bill from being passed, even if they are in the minority.
Cloture
Agreement to end the debate on a bill.
Requires a three-fifths vote
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

22. Civics: Government and Economics in Action
Compromise Bills
Sometimes legislature shave to make concessions in order to get a bill passed
Especially when a similar bill has previously been vetoed or blocked by filibuster.
The ability of different political parties and special interest groups to compromise is essential in American government.
Civics: Government and Economics in Action

23. A Bill Dies in Committee
If a bill does not receive a majority of support Committee, it “dies;” meaning that House and Senate never vote on it.
Civics: Government and Economics in Action