The Legislative Branch of Government
__________________________________________
Part I:
Congress
The Constitution established three separate branches of government. The
branch that will be discussed in this unit is the legislative branch. This branch is
also known as Congress.
Congress is Bicameral
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention decided that the government
should be a two-house legislative body. This is called bicameral. The two houses
were named the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Convention delegates decided on the organization of the two houses.
The number of members in the lower house, the House of Representatives, would
be determined by the population of each individual state. States with larger
populations would have more members in the House. The upper house, the Senate,
would be organized differently. Each state, regardless of its population, would have
two senators. States would have equal representation in the Senate. The first
Congress of the United States had 65 members in the House of Representatives
and 26 members in the Senate.
The Legislative Branch of Government
Review
1. List the names of the two houses of the United States Congress
a. ____________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________
2. Fill in each blank with the correct term. Choose the answer from the word
box.
65
Population
Bicameral
Word Box
Senate
26
Congress
two
House of Representatives
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Congress – The Legislative Government
The legislative body of our government is called the ________________.
It is ________________ because it has two houses. The lower house is called the
________________ ______ ________________. The upper house is called the
________________. The number of members in the lower house is determined by
the ________________ of the state. The number of members in the upper house
is equal; ________________ from each state. The first Congress had
_______________ members in the lower house and ________________
members in the upper house.
Part II:
The House of Representatives
The terms upper house and lower house do not mean that one house is more
important than the other. It simply means that the members of the House of
Representatives only serve a portion of their state’s population. The members of
the Senate, on the other had, serve the entire state. Representatives are elected
every two years. Senators are elected every six years.
The people who serve in the House of Representatives are called
Congressmen or Congresswomen. To be eligible to become a representative, a
person must:
 Be at least 25 years of age
 Be a citizen for a least seven years
 Live in the state he or she represents
Term of Office
A representative is elected for at two-year term. The short term was
intended to make the House of Representatives act quickly on important issues.
The brief term places the elected official in a vulnerable position. The people can
voice their opinions when they vote. The representatives may not be reelected if
the voters are not pleased with their job performance.
A new Congress begins every time the House of Representatives is elected.
The 101st Congress began in January, 1989. They have a staff that helps keep the
citizens of their states informed about the current issues being discussed.
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U.S.A Capitol Building
Washington D.C.
The Legislative Branch of Government
Review:
I. List three qualifications that a person needs to have in order to serve in the
House of Representatives.
a. ____________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________
Part III:
Congressional Districts
The United States Congress has 435 representatives. This number was
determined in1910 and is not likely to change in the near future. The states are
divided into congressional districts. The districts contain approximately the same
number of people. The number of representatives each state has depends on the
population. A ratio of the states’ population determines the exact number of
representatives per state.
Because the population of the United States changes, the house seats are
reapportioned every ten years after the census is taken. That means that the
districts are reorganized to keep them equal.
Some states attract more people than others. California, Florida, Texas, and
Arizona are states that grow very fast. Sometimes, states decrease (lessen) in
population. Therefore, it is necessary to reorganize the districts. T he party that
is in the majority (over 50%) decides on how the reorganization should be done.
Part IV:
The Speaker of the House
The speaker holds the most important position in the House of
Representatives. The Speaker of the House is the leader of the majority party.
He is chosen by the party because of this experience and leadership in the House.
The speaker usually serves for several years, providing his party remains in the
majority. The Speaker of the House is the next in line if the President and Vice
President should die or leave office during their term.
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The speaker’s position is very important because he has a great deal of
power. The 435 members of the House must obey strict rules. The speaker is in
charge. No one may address (speak to) The House of Representatives unless the
speaker gives permission. Important bills (future laws) are greatly influenced by
him. It has been said that only the President of the United States has more power
than the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Review:
Fill in the blank with the correct term. Choose the answer from the word box. One
word will be used more than once.
seaker
vicepresident
bills
Word Box
rules
majority
president
435
speak
Speaker of the House
The most important position in the House of Representatives is the
________________. The two positions higher in our government are the
_________________ and the __________ _______________. The
________________ party (over 50%) chooses the speaker. The
________________ members of the House must obey strict
________________. No member may _______________ unless he or she has
the approval of the speaker. The outcome of important _______________ is
greatly influenced by the ________________.
Part V:
The Senate
Two senators from each state make up the Senate. In 1989, there were 100
member of the Senate. This number could change if more states are added. The
term of office is six years. Senators must be at least 30 years of age. The
number of senators, the term of office, and the older age requirement are just
three of the differences between the House and the Senate. Senators are elected
by people throughout an entire state. They represent the whole state, not just a
small district.
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The Senate operates very differently from the House of Representatives.
The Vice President of the United States is the president of the Senate. He cannot
discuss any bill. He can only vote if there is a tie. The Vice President is often away
on important government business. In his place is a president pro tempore.
The Senate does not have strict rules. Debates (discussions) can go on for
several days. This freedom encourages senators to give careful thought to a bill.
Sometimes, a long debate “talks a bill to death.” In other words, if a bill is not
approved in a specific amount of time, it cannot be discussed any more. This is
called a filibuster. The senators can vote to stop the filibuster, but more often
than not, the vote fails.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives must approve a bill
before it can be sent to the President. Many times, the two houses have to
compromise on a bill. The bicameral system allows for these compromises. Even if
both houses do agree on a bill, the president has the power to veto (turn down)
their legislation. It takes a 2/3 vote of both houses to override (go over) the
President’s veto.
Review:
I.
II.
Make a list of four important differences between the Senate and
the House of Representatives
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________
Fill in each blank with the correct term. Choose the answer from the
word box.
President
2/3
filibuster
two
pro tempore
Word Box
Vice President
veto
six
House
of Representatives
The Senate
100
state
senate
The upper house of our Congress is called the ________________.
There are ____________ members in the upper house. Only ________________
senators are elected in each ________________. They serve a term of
__________ years. The ____________ ____________ is the president of the
Senate. In his absence the Senate has a ____________________
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__________________. Sometimes senators try to talk a bill to death. This is
called a ___________________. Even if the Senate and the
_________________ of______________________ pass a bill,
the__________________ can still _____________________ it. It takes a
_______________________ vote to override the President’s refusal to sign the
bill.
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