1. The Legislative Branch
CHAPTER 10
By: Francis Cruz
Kaitlyn Keefe
Rachel Reagan
Wyatt Marsau

2. The National Legislature
The United States operates as a Representative Democracy.
These elected representatives in the Legislative branch make up Congress.
Made up of two houses.
Houses are able to check each other.
Congress’s purpose is to take the public will and turn it into public policy also known as laws.
Congress is based off of the British Parliament.

3. The National Legislature
Congress works in terms and sessions.
Terms last for two years and starts on the “3d day of January”.
Sessions are periods of times during the year where Congress assembles and does their job.
Congress then adjourns or suspends until the next session.
Both houses must agree to adjourn to actually suspend.
Special Sessions are sessions called by the president to deal with some emergency situation.

4. The House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is a group of 435 members
The population of a state decides the number of representatives the state receives
Each state is guaranteed at least one seat in the House
The states are divided into congressional districts, they are single member districts which means that one delegate from each district is elected
If a congressional district is drawn to the advantage of a specific political party that controls the state legislature it is gerrymandered

5. The House of Representatives
The requirements to be a member of The House of Representatives are:
1. Must be at least 25 years old
2. Must be a 7 year citizen
3. Must live in the state and congressional district elected from
The term is 2 years and does not have a reelection limit
Elections are held in November on off year elections, or in between presidential elections

6. The Senate 100 members of the Senate, two senators from each state.
Senators are picked by the voters in each state at the regular november elections.
Only one senator is elected from a state in any given election, except when the other seat has been vacated by death, resignation or expulsion.
6 year terms, no limit on reelection.
less concerned on interests of a specific small locality and more on the national issues.

7. The Senate
Senator’s qualifications are much more strict than for those in the House of Representatives.
The requirements to be a member of the Senate are:
Must be at least 30 years old
Must be a 9 year citizen
Must be a resident of the state they are elected from
Senators get more media attention than members of the House of Representatives.

8. The Members of Congress
Of the 30 women that have been elected 20 are currently serving in the 114th congress
The annual salary of a senator is 174,000
The Legislative branch has the power of using the “Oversight Function” which enables them to check what the Executive branch are working efficiently and following the policies put into law by congress
There is a total number of 535 members in the United States Congress.

10. Quiz!
True or false, the United States’ government is a representative democracy.
True or false, there are 335 members in the House of Representatives.
True or false, you can be a senator for California if you live in Arizona.
True or false, there a multiple representatives elected from one congressional district.
True or false, if you are 35 you can be a member of the Senate.
True or false, there are 20 women in the Senate.

11. Answers
True
False