LEGISLATIVE BRANCH: THE CONGRESS Unit 4

Legislative Branch  The Legislative Branch of government is the only one of the three branches directly elected by the people  the President (Executive Branch) is chosen by the electoral college  the judges in the Judicial Branch are appointed

Congressional Membership  Congress has two chambers  The House of Representatives and the Senate  Representatives serve 2 years  Senators serve 6 years  100 members in the Senate  435 members in the House of Rep  Senators are elected by voters of each state  435 seats on the House of Rep are divided by among the states based on population

Qualifications for Representatives  Must be at least 25 years old  Must be citizens for at least 7 years  All members of congress must legally reside in the state that elects them

Qualifications for Senators  Must be at least 30 years old  Must be citizens for at least 9 years  All members of Congress must legally reside in the state that elects them.

Senate  The vice president is the president of the senate, but may not debate issues or vote except to break a tie.  Has no rules committee  Bills reach the floor by unanimous vote of the senators.  Filibuster- The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action  Senators may try to defeat a bill by talking until a majority of the senate abandons the bill or agrees to modify it

Constitutional Powers  Taxing powers- congress may levy taxes  Congress may borrow money, coin money, regulate the value of money, and punish counter fitters  Approve treaties and declare war  Make laws

Expenditure  Expenditure- the act of spending money  defense, education, entitlements (welfare, social security, Medicare, Medicaid)  The Executive Branch creates the budget. The Legislative Branch must approve the budget. The two branches must work together to achieve compromise.

Economic Systems  U.S. free enterprise – in a free enterprise system, individuals and businesses operate and compete with minimum government interference or regulation  Socialism – government controls some means of production (major industries)  Communism – government controls all means of production

Government Taxation and Regulation  government regulation of monopolies  environmental regulations on industries  unemployment insurance requirements  safety and health regulations in the workplace  workmen’s compensation insurance  product standards and testing

Bicameral Structure of Congress  2-house legislature, Congress is divided into House of Representatives and Senate  Number of senators (2 per state) and representatives (dependent on population)  Leadership: Vice President is president of the Senate, Speaker of the House leads House

Policies Fostering Competition and Entrepreneurship  Patent – A license issued to an inventor granting the exclusive right to manufacture, use or sell his or her invention for a limited period of time  Anti-trust legislation  Copyright – The exclusive, legal right of a person to reproduce, publish, and sell, his or her own literary, musical, or artistic creations  Regulation of patents and copyrights is a power given to Congress.

Bill Becomes a Law 1. Bill introduced into the House of Representatives 2. Assigned to committee 3. Considered and approved by House 4. Sent to the Senate for a similar process 5. Signed by the President

When Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, he was a senator from Illinois. How was his vacated Senate seat filled?  The Governor of Illinois named the replacement.

Cabinet members  Nominated by the president  Confirmed by the Senate

Powers Granted to the Senate Alone  Advise and consent powers  In the United States, "advise and consent" is a power of the United States Senate to be consulted on and approve treaties signed and appointments made by the President of the United States to public positions, including Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, and ambassadors.

Domestic Policy  Domestic- existing or occurring inside a particular country; not foreign or international  Examples- funding health care to seniors and the poor, control interstate transportation of goods, regulating business and industry