Legislative
BranchReview
SSCG9 The student will explain the differences between the House of Representatives
and the Senate, with emphasis on terms of office, powers, organization, leadership,
and representation of each house.
SSCG10 The student will describe the legislative process including the roles played by
committees and leadership.
a. Explain the steps in the legislative process.
b. Explain the function of various leadership positions within the legislature.
SSCG11 The student will describe the influence of lobbyists (business, labor,
professional organizations) and special interest groups on the legislative process.
a. Explain the function of lobbyists.
b. Describe the laws and rules that govern lobbyists.
c. Explain the function of special interest groups.
Essential Questions
• How does a bill become a law?
• What powers does Congress have?
• What are some of the leadership positions
within the legislature?
• How are the House and Senate
similar/different?
• How do lobbyists and special interest groups
influence government?
Learning Target
• SWBAT review all material covered over
Standards 9, 10 and 11!!
At least 30 years old
• How old do you have to be to be in the
Senate?
At least 25 years old
• How old do you have to be to be in the House
of Representatives?
435
• How many members in the House of
Representatives?
100
• How many members in the Senate?
Majority/Minority Whips
• Who is responsible for counting votes and
convincing people to vote the way their party
wants?
Members of Congress
• Who is responsible for introducing bills?
The House of Representatives
• If a bill is started and passed in the Senate,
where will it go next?
Pocket veto and veto
• What 2 ways can the President deny the
passage of a bill?
Congressional override
• What can congress do if the president vetoes
a bill?
The speaker controls daily activities,
refers bills, calls for votes
• Why is the Speaker of the House considered
the most powerful person in the House of
Representatives?
The VP is the president of the senate
and votes to break a tie
• What purpose does the Vice President serve
in the Senate?
Citizens can write bills
• What role can citizens play in the creation of a
bill?
7 years
• How many years must a member of the House
of Representatives been a citizen prior to
running for office?
House, Senate and President
• What 3 groups/individuals must pass a bill
before it becomes a law?
The president pro tempore
• Who usually acts as the Senate’s presiding
officer?
Every 2 years, 1/3 of the Senate and
every member of the House run for
election or re-election
• When do members of the House and Senate
run for election/Re-election?
It can veto proposed laws
• What check can the executive branch place on
Congress?
A joint committee
• Which committee is always made up of
members of both the Senate and the House of
Representatives?
filibuster
• The use of long speeches to prevent a vote on
a bill.
Constituents
• People represented by a Senator or a
Representative are known as…
2 years
• The term of office for a member of the House
of Representatives is
cloture
• What ends the debate on a bill?
2 senators per state
• What is representation in the Senate
determined by?
Bill
• What is a proposed law called?
Interest groups
• Private organizations whose members share
certain views and work to shape public policy
Represent interest groups and try to
convince legislators of their position
• What do lobbyists do?
Make laws
• What is the main job of the legislative branch?
Is vetoed by pocket veto
• If the president fails to take action on a bill
that has been passed just before the end of a
congressional session (within 10 days of the
end of a session), the bill…
Congress
• Term used when referring to the House of
Representatives and the Senate.
67% or 2/3
• To override a Presidential veto, what
percentage of Congress is needed?
2
• How many Senators does each state have?
representatives
• A census is taken to determine population
every 10 years. After a census is taken, the
number of _____________ for a given state
may change
Single-Issue Group
• MADD or Mothers Against Drunk Driving is an
example of this type of interest group.
Bill of attainder
• A law that convicts a person of a crime
without a trial
The Senate approves presidential
appointments, like ambassadors,
judges and cabinet members
• What is a special duty of the Senate?
All bills that deal with raising money
(like taxes) must start in the House
• What is a special duty of the House of
Representatives?
A bill can start in either chamber of
Congress
• Does a bill have to start in the House or
Senate in order to go through the legislative
process?
Markup
• Process of making changes to a bill during the
legislative process
legislate
• To write laws
LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
• MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE LEGISLATIVE
PROCESS!!! STUDY THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
FLOW CHART! YOU WILL HAVE TO FILL ONE
OF THESE OUT!!!!!!