LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The legislative branch is made up of elected representatives from all of the states and is the only branch that can make federal laws, levy federal taxes, declare war or put foreign treaties into effect. It consists of a Congress that is divided into two groups, called houses:

The House of Representatives comprises lawmakers who serve two-year terms. Each House member represents a district in his or her home state. The number of districts in a state is determined by a count of the population taken every 10 years. The most heavily populated have more districts and, therefore, more representatives than the smaller states, some of which have only one. In the 1980s, there are 435 representatives in the United States House of Representatives.

A representative must be at least 25 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least 7 years, and a resident of the state in which he or she is elected, but not necessarily a resident of the congressional district that he or she represents. Each representative has one vote.

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House, who is first, after the vice president, in order of succession to the presidency. The Speaker is elected by the House. The Speaker appoints all select committees and may vote, but generally does so only to break a tie.

The Senate comprises lawmakers who serve six-year terms. Each state, regardless of population, has two senators. That assures that small states have an equal voice in one of the houses of Congress. The terms of the senators are staggered so that only one-third the Senate is elected every two years. That assures that there are some experienced senators in Congress after each election.

A senator must be at least 30 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years, and a resident of the state in which he or she is elected. Each senator has one vote. The presiding officer of the Senate is the U.S. vice president, whose official senatorial title is president of the Senate, and who is addressed in the Senate as “Mr. President.” The vice president may vote only when the Senate is deadlocked by a tie.

The main duty of the Congress is to make laws, including those which levy taxes that pay the work of the federal government. A law begins as a proposal called a "bill." It is read, studied in committees, commented on and amended in the Senate or House chamber in which it was introduced. It is then voted upon.

If it passes, it is sent to the other house where a similar procedure occurs. Members of both houses work together in "conference committees" if the chambers have passed different versions of the same bill. Groups who try to persuade congressmen to vote for or against a bill are known as "lobbies." When both houses of Congress pass a bill on which they agree, it is sent to the president for his signature. Only after it is signed does the bill become a law.

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 1834