Isabella Carter
The United States Congress is a bicameral legislature consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Constitution outlines the roles and responsibilities of Congress, including its power to declare war, raise and support armies, and make laws. The leadership structure within Congress has evolved over time, with the emergence of party structures and the influence of seniority. The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, known as the Speaker, is elected by the members, while floor leaders are chosen by the majority party. The Senate has longer terms and fewer members, with each state having two senators. The rules and procedures of Congress are designed to ensure a balance of power between the two houses and between Congress and the executive branch, with checks and balances in place to prevent the abuse of power.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Legislative powers | Vested in a Congress of the United States, which consists of a Senate and House of Representatives |
| Composition | Comprised of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states |
| Eligibility | Must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, at least 25 years old, and have been a citizen for the past seven years |
| Term | The Congress starts and ends at noon on the third day of January of every odd-numbered year |
| Powers | Exclusive power to declare war, raise and maintain armed forces, and make rules for the military |
| Leadership | Determined by seniority, with long-serving members of Congress gaining more power |
| Checks and balances | Provides checks and balances among the three branches of the federal government |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution outlines the role of Congress
Congress has an important role in national defense, including the exclusive power to declare war, raise and maintain armed forces, and make rules for the military. It also has the power to raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money for this purpose can be for longer than two years. Congress can also call forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions.
The Constitution also grants Congress the power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers vested by the Constitution in the US government. This includes the power to regulate commerce, as affirmed by Supreme Court decisions based on the Constitution's commerce clause. Congress also has the power to tax and to spend, as well as the power to impeach and remove federal officers, including the President.
The Constitution provides for the election of Senators and Representatives, with Senators serving six-year terms and Representatives chosen every second year by the people of the several states. Each House is the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its members, and a majority constitutes a quorum to do business.
The role of Congress, as outlined in the Constitution, also includes checks and balances on the other branches of government, with the expectation that Congress would hold the greater power. The influence of Congress on the presidency has varied over time, depending on factors such as congressional leadership and historical circumstances.
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Congress has the power to declare war
The United States Congress is a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Congress has an important role in national defence, including the exclusive power to declare war, as outlined in Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the US Constitution. This power to declare war is further reinforced by Congress's ability to raise and maintain the armed forces and make rules for the military.
The Constitution, in its original intent, aimed to give greater power to Congress, as described in Article One. The first draft of the Constitution considered in 1787 would have given Congress the power to make war, but the framers ultimately chose the word "declare" to empower the President to respond to sudden attacks. This interpretation of the Constitution allows the President to introduce troops into hostile circumstances if Congress has declared war, specifically authorised the use of force, or in the case of a national emergency.
While Congress has the sole authority to declare war, the President, as Commander-in-Chief, has the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. The President also has the power to deploy the military to protect American persons and interests without seeking prior authorisation from Congress. However, the War Powers Resolution of 1973 articulated Congress's interpretation of the President's war powers, including constitutional concerns.
Historically, Congress has only declared war five times, with the closest vote being the War of 1812, which passed with a simple majority in both houses. The other wars declared by Congress include the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. Since 1941, Congress has not formally declared war, although the President has initiated military actions, such as President Truman's "police action" in response to the North Korean invasion of 1950.
The power to declare war is a critical aspect of Congress's role in national defence and is intended to provide a check on the executive branch's power to engage in military conflicts.
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Congress is made up of a Senate and House of Representatives
Congress is a bicameral or two-chamber legislature, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The structure of Congress was outlined in Article One of the US Constitution.
The Senate and the House of Representatives differ in several ways. Members of the Senate are referred to as senators, while members of the House of Representatives are referred to as representatives, congressmen, or congresswomen. The Senate has longer terms of six years, while the House of Representatives is composed of members chosen every second year. The Senate has fewer members, with two senators representing each state, while the number of representatives is based on the population of each state. Senators are elected by their state governments, while representatives are chosen by the people of the states. The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the speaker of the House, who is elected by the members.
The two chambers also have different roles and responsibilities. The Senate has exclusive power to confirm treaties and appointments made by the president, while the House of Representatives has the sole power to initiate revenue-raising bills and impeach federal officers. The House of Representatives also plays a crucial role in shaping the legislative agenda and passing legislation. Any bill passed by the House of Representatives must also be passed by the Senate before it can be sent to the president for approval.
The structure of Congress, with its two chambers, was designed to balance representation between larger and smaller states. The Connecticut Compromise, adopted during the Convention of 1787, aimed to address the concerns of smaller states, ensuring that each state had equal representation in the Senate while also giving larger states more representation in the House based on population.
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The House of Representatives determines its own rules
The United States Constitution provides that each "House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings." This means that the House of Representatives has the power to establish its own rules and procedures, which are separate from the laws that govern the country. The House of Representatives is one of Congress's two chambers, the other being the Senate, and it represents citizens based on district populations. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law and should not exceed 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states.
The House of Representatives plays a crucial role in making and passing federal laws. Representatives introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments, and serve on committees. The House Rules Committee controls which bills go to the House Floor and sets the terms of debate. The committee is typically weighted in favour of the majority party, with nine members from the majority and four from the minority.
The House of Representatives also has the power to establish various commissions to serve as advisory bodies on investigative or policy-related issues. These commissions can be composed of House members, private citizens, or a mix of both.
The House leadership includes the speaker, majority and minority leaders, assistant leaders, whips, and a party caucus or conference. The speaker acts as the leader of the House and combines several institutional and administrative roles. The majority and minority leaders represent their respective parties on the House Floor, while whips assist leadership in managing their party's legislative program.
The House of Representatives has its own set of rules and procedures, which are established at the beginning of each new Congress. These rules outline the procedures for introducing and debating bills, the roles and responsibilities of committee members, and the conduct of members, officers, and employees while performing their official duties.
The House of Representatives, therefore, has significant autonomy in determining its internal rules and procedures, allowing it to govern its legislative processes and the behaviour of its members.
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Congress has the power to impeach the President
The United States Constitution provides that the House of Representatives "shall have the sole Power of Impeachment" (Article I, section 2) and "the Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments" (Article I, section 3). The president, vice president, and all civil officers of the United States are subject to impeachment. The Constitution grants Congress the authority to impeach and remove "The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States" upon a determination that such officers have engaged in treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
The impeachment process was adopted by the framers of the Constitution as a fundamental component of the system of
In impeachment proceedings, the House of Representatives charges an official of the federal government by approving, by a simple majority vote, articles of impeachment. After the House of Representatives sends its articles of impeachment to the Senate, the Senate sits as a High Court of Impeachment to consider evidence, hear witnesses, and vote to acquit or convict the impeached official. A committee of representatives, called "managers," acts as prosecutors before the Senate. In the case of presidential impeachment trials, the chief justice of the United States presides. The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict, and the penalty for an impeached official upon conviction is removal from office.
The impeachment process is remedial rather than punitive in nature, and the remedy is limited to removal from office. Because the process is not punitive, a party may also be subject to criminal or civil trial, prosecution, and conviction under the law after removal from office. The president of the United States is constitutionally prevented from granting a pardon to impeached and convicted persons that would protect them from the consequences of a conviction in an impeachment trial.
The power to impeach the President is an important check on executive power and a crucial tool for holding the President accountable for violations of the law and abuses of power. The impeachment of Andrew Johnson, for instance, made the presidency less powerful than Congress for a considerable period afterward.
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Frequently asked questions
The leader of Congress is the President of the United States.
According to the Constitution, only a natural-born citizen of the United States who is at least 35 years old and has been a resident of the country for 14 years can be eligible for the office of President.
Congress has a significant role in national defence, including the exclusive power to declare war, raise and maintain armed forces, and make rules for the military. It also plays an active role in shaping government policy and is responsible for passing legislation.
The Constitution states that Congress shall assemble at least once every year, and this meeting shall take place on the first Monday in December unless a different day is appointed by law.
The presiding officer, or the speaker of the House, is elected by the members of the House of Representatives.
