The National
Legislature
The Big Idea
Congress, made
up of the Senate
and the House of
Representatives,
is the National
Government’s
legislative Branch
Bicameral Congress
The constitution establishes it to be two
houses
Article 1
Because of which compromise???
Three Reasons for Bicameral Leg.
1.Historical: The British Parliament
consisted of two houses since the 1300s
2.Practical: Compromise
3.Theoretical: the Framers favored a
bicameral Congress in order that one
house might act as a check on the other
Some Vocab
• Term: Each congressional term lasts 2 years
• Congress began its 1st term on March 1 1789
• Session: Period of time during which, each year, Congress
assembles and conducts business
• 2 sessions to each term
• Each 1 year long
• Special Session: Meeting to deal with some emergency
situations
• only the President can all one
• only 26 have occurred
Formal Qualifications
• The formal qualifications are established by
the Constitution
• must be residents of the state they are elected in
• House: 25 years old and a citizen for 7 years
• Senate: 30 years old and a citizen for 9 years
Must Know
• Roles Played by Members of Congress
This is the information found on Worksheet
Chapter 10 section 4
The Members of Congress