Comparing the Two Houses
Label the two houses under their pictures. Then fill in the rest of the blanks using your textbook.
____House of Representatives____
___________Senate_______________
How can you tell? ______________________________________________________________
The two houses together are called __Congress____________________________
Qualifications:
Qualifications:
Age: ____25_________
Age: _____30________
Citizenship requirement:
Citizenship requirement:
___7 years______________
______9 years___________
Residence requirement: _state represented___
Residence requirement: _state represented___
Length of term: __2 years______
Length of term: __6 years ______
Presiding officer: _Speaker of the House__________
Presiding officer: _Vice President______________
Alternate: _President Pro-Tempore____
Number of members: __435__________
Number of members: ___100_________
Representation based on: __population____________
Representation based on: _2 from each state______
Amount needed to pass a bill: __majority___________
Amount needed to pass a bill: ___majority_________
Amount needed to override a veto: __2/3___________
Amount needed to override a veto: ____2/3_________
Chapter 5 Section 1
1. What is a bicameral legislature? _2 house legislature_______________________________
2. The census is a population count. How is it used in Congress? _the census is taken every 10 year
and is used to determine how many representatives each state will have_______________
3. What are two benefits members of Congress receive? __franking privilege, travel back to home
state__________________________________________________________________
Chapter 5 Section 3
4. What is the elastic clause? Allows Congress to do anything “necessary and proper”_________
5. What does it mean to impeach? _formally accuse of misconduct_____________ Why is treason
an impeachable offense? Betrays your country____________________________________
6. Which body (house) of Congress has the power to impeach? _House of Representatives_______
7. Where is the impeached official put on trial? _Senate_______________________________
8. Name the two presidents who have been impeached. Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton_____
9. Which house introduces bills for raising revenue? _House of Representatives__________
10. Which house has to approve treaties? _Senate_______________________ What vote is
needed to approve these treaties? _majority______________
11. Which house approves presidential appointments? _Senate________________ What vote is
needed to approve these appointments? __majority____________________
12. Which house may end up choosing the President? House of Representatives_ When would this
happen? _not a majority of electoral votes___________________________________
Complete the chart by describing the relationship between the terms.
census
House of
Representatives
House of
Speaker of the
Representatives
House
U.S. Senate
vice president
bill
law