Why are there two Houses in Congress (Legislative Branch)?
Proposed Bill: Students may sit with whomever they want at
lunch everyday of the week.
Positives
What Happened?
Round 1
Negatives
Round 2
In round 2 who got a vote?
When the group with more groups
Name: _____________________________ HW 9E. Powers of Congress
Part A: Use the chart below to review some of the basics about the two houses in
Congress and to also learn about some of the specific jobs each house carries
out. Fill out the Venn diagram by writing the corresponding letter in the
diagram.
Part B: Use the descriptions on the back to complete the
provided chart to learn about the powers delegated (given)
to Congress.
Go to back.
Expressed Powers
To declare war, to tax, and control commerce are just some of the 27 powers given to Congress under
Article I Section 8 of the Constitution. These powers are specifically expressed or written. These
powers give this branch of the Constitution power over domestic and foreign policies. Lastly, Congress’
responsibilities are far ranging but should not infringe on the rights of the citizens.
Define expressed powers and provide an example in the chart below.
Implied Powers
Congress also has powers that are implied. They are not specifically written in the Constitution but are
suggested and open to interpretation. These powers originated from the Elastic Clause, which is also
known as the “necessary and proper” clause. This means Congress has the ability to pass laws
necessary to carry out others. The first time the Elastic Clause was used was when Alexander Hamilton
used it to create the first National Bank. People argued that the constitution did not grant the power to
create a bank; Hamilton noted that it was required in order to carry out taxation.
Define expressed powers and provide an example in the chart below.
Non-Legislative Powers
As if the expressed and implied powers don't already give Congress plenty with which to keep itself
busy, the Constitution also assigns the legislative branch several important non-legislative functions—
that is, powers and responsibilities not directly related to the process of making new laws. These
include impeachment power, confirmation power, and investigative power.
Example: Congress has the power to impeach—the power to remove from office any federal official
deemed to have committed serious crimes. The Constitution gives the House the power to impeach—
and the Senate is required to serve as judge and jury, needing a two-thirds majority vote to convict.
Define non-legislative powers and provide an example in the chart below.
Inherent Powers
Lastly, the legislative branch possesses another type of power—the so-called inherent powers of
government. These powers, like the implied powers, are not explicitly listed in the Constitution, but are
said to be important to the idea of national government. Because the United States is an independent
nation in the world, it can be assumed to possess certain powers that all nations possess and always
have possessed. These powers exist, in essence, simply because the United States exists. There are not
many of these inherent powers, but some are quite important; they include the power to control the
country's borders, acquire new territories and to defend the government from revolutions.
Define inherent powers and provide an example in the chart below.
Non Legislative Powers-
Expressed PowersPowers
of
Congress
Example:
Example:
Inherent PowersImplied Powers-
Example:
Example: