Powers of Congress – Day 2 Identify key powers exercised by Congress.

Bell Work 2 Time Table Bell Work – 10 min. Lecture Notes – 25 min. Political Cartoon – 5 min. Lecture Notes – 15 min. When you weigh yourself, do you expect to be the same weight at the doctors office? And the same if you weighed yourself in a different State? Who makes sure that scales all give the same reading? “If little else, the brain is an educational toy.” Tom Robbins

More Expressed Powers Foreign Relations War Powers Congress shares this power with the President who takes most of the responsibility Examples: War powers Immigration regulation Combat terrorism War Powers Declare war Raise and support armies and navy Make laws governing land and naval forces

Copyrights and Patents Naturalization Establish rules of becoming a citizen Postal Power Establishes a post office Copyrights and Patents Protects authors who reproduce publish and sell his or her work Grants people the lone right to manufacture, use, or sell anything useful for up to 20 years.

Powers Over Territories and Other Areas Weights and Measures Fix standards of weights and measures throughout the US In 1866 congress legalized the metric system in addition to the English system Powers Over Territories and Other Areas Acquire, manage and dispose of various federal areas Washington DC Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands Military installations, arsenals, dockyards, post offices, prisons, parks and forest preserves Other federal holdings

Judicial Powers Create all federal courts below the Supreme Court Define federal crimes Only four Expressed Counterfeiting Piracies and felonies on the high seas Offenses against international law Treason

The Implied Powers of Congress Expressed Power: to lay and collect taxes Expressed Power: to borrow money Implied Power: To punish tax evaders To regulate (license) the sale of some commodities (such as alcohol) and outlaw the use of others (such as narcotics) To require states to meet certain conditions to qualify for federal funding Implied Power: To establish the Federal Reserve System of banks Expressed Power: to establish naturalization law Implied Power: To regulate and limit immigration

The Implied Powers of Congress Expressed Power: to raise armies and a navy Expressed Power: to regulate commerce Implied Power: To draft Americans into the military Implied Power: To establish a minimum wage To ban discrimination in workplaces and public facilities To pass laws protecting the disabled To regulate banking Expressed Power: to establish a post office Implied Power: To prohibit mail fraud and obstruction of the mail To bar the shipping of certain items through the mail

Nonlegislative Powers of Congress Constitutional Amendments Congress may propose amendments by a 2/3 vote in each house. State legislatures have petitioned Congress for amendments Requiring congress to balance the federal budget each year Prohibit flag burning Permit flag burning Permit prayer in public schools Outlaw abortion

Electoral Duties Impeachment The House may be called to elect a President if no candidate receives a majority in the electoral vote. The Senate may choose a VP under the same circumstances. Impeachment Only the House may bring formal charges (Impeach) against the President or any civil officer. Majority vote needed to pass The Senate acts as the jury with the Chief Justice presiding. 2/3 vote needed to remove from office

Two Presidents have been impeached Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton Both were acquitted Johnson faced the Radical Republicans that controlled congress who were unhappy with the lenient way he dealt with the South Clinton was accused of lying under oath about his affair with Monica Lewinsky

Richard Nixon faced almost certain impeachment due to his involvement with the Watergate scandal. He resigned instead Executive Powers Appointments All major appointments made by the President must be approved by the Senate Treaties The President makes treaties with 2/3 of Senate approval

Investigatory Power Congress has the power to investigate any matter that falls within the scope of its legislative power. Reasons to Investigate Gather info useful to making legislation Oversee the executive branch agencies Focus public attention on that issue Expose questionable activity Promote interests of Congress