Aim: How is the legislative branch of the U.S. Constitution structured?
Bell Ringer: Take 10-15 minutes to complete "Legislative Branch Worksheet, Civics Test"
Objectives:
- Students will analyze the structures, functions, and processes of the legislative branch as described in Article I of the Constitution.
Agenda:
- 1. Bell Ringer (15 min)
- 2. QQT (20 min)
- 3. Review for the Quiz (10 min) / Review all QQT questions.
HW: Study for the Legislative Branch Exam
1. How long is a term of Congress? A. 2 years
2. How many sessions are in one term? A. 2 sessions
3. On what date does a new Congressional term begin? A. January 3rd of odd years.
4. What does the term Bicameral mean? A. a legislative institution with two chambers/houses.
5. What are the qualifications for a HOR member? A. 25 years old, 7 years as a U.S. citizen, resident of represented state.
6. How many representative make up the HOR? A. 435
7. What is representation based on in the HOR? A. population
8. What is reapportionment? A. process of re-dividing the 435 seats of the HOR based upon each state's proportion of the national population.
9. Every how often is a census taken in the United States and when is the next census? A. Every 10 years, next census: 2020
10. What is the minimum representation per state? A. 1 seat
11. What is redistricting? A. process of redrawing legislative district boundaries every 10 years based upon changes in population.
12. Who determines district boundaries? A. State legislatures
13. What is gerrymandering? A. drawing boundaries of legislative district to benefit one party or handicap another party.
14. In gerrymandering, what is packing? A. Drawing district lines so they include as many of a political party's voters as possible.
15. In gerrymandering, what is cracking? A. Dividing an opponent's voters into other districs, to weaken the opponent.
16. What are the qualifications for a Senate member? A. 30 years old, 9 years a citizen of the U.S., resident of their represented state.
17. How many senators are there in total? A. 100
18. What is representation based on in the Senate? A. equal representation, 2 per state.
19. Name three powers of Congress. A. Levy Taxes, borrow money, regulate commerce, set laws for naturalization and bankruptcy, coin money, post office, copyrights and patents, set up courts, declare war, establish the military and national guard, set budget for the military, punish pirates, elastic clause / implied powers.
20. What is the elastic clause? The necessary and proper clause gives Congress the power to make laws “necessary and proper” to carry out the delegated dutiesAlso known as the ‘elastic clause’ it stretches the power given Congress.
21. Name two powers denied to Congress. A. Congress cannot make laws concerning slave trade until 1808. Cannot suspend the writ of Habeas Corpus- must show cause for holding a suspect except in wartime No ex post facto laws- cannot punish a person for an act committed before there was a law against it. No bills of attainder-laws that punish people without a trial. No titles of nobility. No tax on exports.
22. What laws are denied to state legislatures? A. coin money, cannot have an army, no import or export taxes, cannot pass any law that the federal government is not allowed to pass.
23. In Congress, what is the majority party? A. the political party that holds the most seats in each house.
24. In Congress, what is the minority party? A. the political party that holds fewer seats in each house.
25. Why is it important to be in the majority? A. It makes it easier to pass laws that favor the majority party.
26. Who is the leader of the HoR and what does he/she do? A. Speaker of the House and he/she governs the debate in the HoR.
27. Who are below Speaker of the House? A. Floor leaders and Whips
28. Who is the leader of the Senate? A. The Vice-President of the U.S., then the President Pro Tempore.
29. Who is below the President Pro Tempore? A. Same as the HOR: Floor leaders and Whips.
30. Why is Congress broken down into committees? A. To make the legislative process more efficient.
31. What are the two goals of committees? A. Go over each bill before they are voted on, and to oversee performances of agencies.
32. Who works below Congress members? A. They have a personal staff to do it for them.
1. How long is a term of Congress? A. 2 years
2. How many sessions are in one term? A. 2 sessions
3. On what date does a new Congressional term begin? A. January 3rd of odd years.
4. What does the term Bicameral mean? A. a legislative institution with two chambers/houses.
5. What are the qualifications for a HOR member? A. 25 years old, 7 years as a U.S. citizen, resident of represented state.
6. How many representative make up the HOR? A. 435
7. What is representation based on in the HOR? A. population
8. What is reapportionment? A. process of re-dividing the 435 seats of the HOR based upon each state's proportion of the national population.
9. Every how often is a census taken in the United States and when is the next census? A. Every 10 years, next census: 2020
10. What is the minimum representation per state? A. 1 seat
11. What is redistricting? A. process of redrawing legislative district boundaries every 10 years based upon changes in population.
12. Who determines district boundaries? A. State legislatures
13. What is gerrymandering? A. drawing boundaries of legislative district to benefit one party or handicap another party.
14. In gerrymandering, what is packing? A. Drawing district lines so they include as many of a political party's voters as possible.
15. In gerrymandering, what is cracking? A. Dividing an opponent's voters into other districs, to weaken the opponent.
16. What are the qualifications for a Senate member? A. 30 years old, 9 years a citizen of the U.S., resident of their represented state.
17. How many senators are there in total? A. 100
18. What is representation based on in the Senate? A. equal representation, 2 per state.
19. Name three powers of Congress. A. Levy Taxes, borrow money, regulate commerce, set laws for naturalization and bankruptcy, coin money, post office, copyrights and patents, set up courts, declare war, establish the military and national guard, set budget for the military, punish pirates, elastic clause / implied powers.
20. What is the elastic clause? The necessary and proper clause gives Congress the power to make laws “necessary and proper” to carry out the delegated dutiesAlso known as the ‘elastic clause’ it stretches the power given Congress.
21. Name two powers denied to Congress. A. Congress cannot make laws concerning slave trade until 1808. Cannot suspend the writ of Habeas Corpus- must show cause for holding a suspect except in wartime No ex post facto laws- cannot punish a person for an act committed before there was a law against it. No bills of attainder-laws that punish people without a trial. No titles of nobility. No tax on exports.
22. What laws are denied to state legislatures? A. coin money, cannot have an army, no import or export taxes, cannot pass any law that the federal government is not allowed to pass.
23. In Congress, what is the majority party? A. the political party that holds the most seats in each house.
24. In Congress, what is the minority party? A. the political party that holds fewer seats in each house.
25. Why is it important to be in the majority? A. It makes it easier to pass laws that favor the majority party.
26. Who is the leader of the HoR and what does he/she do? A. Speaker of the House and he/she governs the debate in the HoR.
27. Who are below Speaker of the House? A. Floor leaders and Whips
28. Who is the leader of the Senate? A. The Vice-President of the U.S., then the President Pro Tempore.
29. Who is below the President Pro Tempore? A. Same as the HOR: Floor leaders and Whips.
30. Why is Congress broken down into committees? A. To make the legislative process more efficient.
31. What are the two goals of committees? A. Go over each bill before they are voted on, and to oversee performances of agencies.
32. Who works below Congress members? A. They have a personal staff to do it for them.
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