Omar Bennett
The Constitution of the United States established the legislative branch as a bicameral system, meaning it consists of two separate chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Article I of the Constitution outlines that all legislative powers are vested in Congress, and it establishes the process for how laws are made, requiring that any proposed legislation be approved by both the House and the Senate before being sent to the President for approval. This process is designed to prevent any one group from gaining too much power and to ensure a balance of representation between the states and the population at large.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of houses | Two: the House of Representatives and the Senate |
| Purpose | To make laws |
| Powers | To enact legislation, declare war, confirm or reject Presidential appointments, raise and support armies, borrow money, exercise exclusive legislation, and investigate |
| Composition | 435 elected members in the House of Representatives, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population, with 6 non-voting members representing the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four other US territories. The Senate has two senators representing each state. |
| Term lengths | House members serve two-year terms, senators serve six-year terms |
| Election | House members are directly elected by voters in their districts, senators were originally appointed by state legislatures but this changed with the 17th Amendment which established direct election of senators |
| Age requirements | Representatives must be at least 25 years old, senators must be at least 30 years old |
| Citizenship requirements | Representatives and senators must have been citizens of the United States for at least seven and nine years respectively |
| Meeting requirements | Congress must assemble at least once a year, on the first Monday in December unless a different day is appointed by law |
| Quorum requirements | A majority of each house constitutes a quorum to do business, a smaller number may adjourn from day to day |
| Rule-making | Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings |
| Leadership | The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House, elected by the Representatives. The Vice President of the United States is President of the Senate but has no vote unless there is an equal division. |
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What You'll Learn
The Legislative Branch is one of three branches of government
Article I of the Constitution establishes the Legislative Branch, outlining that all legislative powers are vested in Congress. Congress is made up of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. This bicameral structure was a result of compromises made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787, balancing the interests of populous states with those of smaller states. The House of Representatives is based on population, with each state having a number of representatives proportional to its population. Conversely, each state has equal representation in the Senate, with two senators per state, regardless of population.
The Legislative Branch has the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, confirm or reject Presidential appointments, and exercise investigative powers. It is also responsible for establishing the government's annual budget, levying taxes and tariffs, and authorising borrowing if necessary. Additionally, Congress can mandate spending on specific items through legislatively directed spending, commonly known as "earmarks".
A bill must pass both houses of Congress before going to the President for consideration and approval. This process ensures that the Legislative Branch plays a crucial role in law-making and governance, working in conjunction with the Executive and Judicial branches to create a system of checks and balances.
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It consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate
The Legislative Branch is one of the three branches of the US government, with the other two being the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch. The Legislative Branch was established by Article I of the US Constitution, which outlines that all legislative powers are vested in the US Congress, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This bicameral structure was a result of compromises made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, with the number of representatives from each state being proportional to its population. For example, California has 53 representatives, while Wyoming has only one. The House of Representatives also includes six non-voting members, representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other US territories. Members of the House serve two-year terms and are directly elected by the voters in their districts.
The Senate, on the other hand, provides equal representation for each state, with two senators per state regardless of population. Senators serve six-year terms and were originally appointed by state legislatures. However, this changed with the 17th Amendment, which established the direct election of senators.
This bicameral system was designed to balance the interests of populous states with those of smaller states, ensuring that no single group gains too much power. It also allows for a balance of representation between the states and the population at large.
The Legislative Branch has significant powers granted by the Constitution, including the sole authority to enact legislation, declare war, confirm or reject Presidential appointments, and conduct investigations. It is responsible for making laws, while the Executive Branch, led by the President, enforces these laws, and the Judicial Branch, or the Supreme Court, interprets them.
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The House of Representatives is based on population
The House of Representatives, along with the Senate, constitutes the United States Congress, which is the legislative branch of the federal government. The legislative branch was established by Article I of the Constitution, which enumerates the powers of Congress and the areas in which it may legislate.
The Constitution requires that each state, regardless of its population, must have at least one representative. The number of representatives per state is determined by the state's total population, with more populous states having a larger number of representatives. This is in contrast to the Senate, where each state has equal representation with two senators.
The House of Representatives is elected by the people of the states every two years, and representatives must be at least 25 years old, citizens of the United States for at least seven years, and inhabitants of the state they represent. The House is responsible for making and passing federal laws, introducing bills and resolutions, offering amendments, and serving on committees.
The founding fathers debated the structure of Congress during the Constitutional Convention, with delegates from larger and more populated states arguing for the Virginia Plan, which called for congressional representation based on a state's population. Meanwhile, delegates from smaller states supported the New Jersey Plan, which proposed equal representation for each state. The final compromise, known as The Great Compromise, resulted in the creation of the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate with equal representation for each state.
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Each state has equal representation in the Senate
The United States Constitution established a bicameral legislative branch, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. This system was designed to balance the interests of populous states with those of smaller states.
The legislative branch, as established by Article I of the Constitution, consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, forming the United States Congress. This branch holds the power to make laws and is responsible for enacting legislation and declaring war, confirming or rejecting Presidential appointments, and conducting investigations.
The legislative process involves passing bills through both houses of Congress before they are presented to the President for consideration. While the Constitution requires identical wording for both bills, this rarely occurs in practice. A Conference Committee is typically convened to reconcile differences and produce a final version. Each chamber then votes again to approve, after which the bill is sent to the President.
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Congress has the sole authority to enact legislation
The US Constitution established the legislative branch as a bicameral system, meaning it has two separate chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. This system was a compromise between larger and more populated states, who wanted congressional representation to be based on a state's population, and smaller states, who wanted equal representation.
Article I of the Constitution outlines that all legislative powers are vested in Congress, and it establishes the process for how laws are made. Any proposed legislation must be approved by both the House and the Senate before being sent to the President for approval.
The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. There are also 6 non-voting members, representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other US territories. Members of the House serve two-year terms and are directly elected by the voters in their districts.
The Senate, on the other hand, gives each state equal representation, with two senators per state. Senators serve six-year terms and were originally appointed by state legislatures, but this changed with the 17th Amendment, which established the direct election of senators.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution established a bicameral legislative branch, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. This was a result of compromises made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787, balancing the interests of populous states with those of smaller states.
The legislative branch has many powers, most notably the power to make laws. The Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, confirm or reject Presidential appointments, and exercise investigative powers. Congress also has the power to establish an annual budget, levy taxes and tariffs, and authorise borrowing.
The legislative authority is divided into two houses, ensuring that laws must be passed by both the House and the Senate before being sent to the President for approval. Congress may also override a veto by a two-thirds vote in both houses.
