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Amanda, its me sam, i need this for school & i forgot my password sorry :-x
Samantha Legare
American Government
3rd Hour
3/7/06
Congress and the Legislative Branch
Structure
House of Representatives Senate
- Based on population - 2 per state
Age - 25 30
Citizenship - 7 9
Term - 2 6
No limit No limit
Lower House Upper House
Characteristics
Membership - 435 Memberships - 100
More formal and rigid rules Less formal and rigid rules
More hierarchically organized Less hierarchically organized
Acts more quickly Acts more slowly
Power concentrated Power less concentrated
Smaller constituencies Larger constituencies
Less prestige Unlimited debate
Limited debate Two or more major committee One major committee assignment assignments
Powers of Congress
1. Delegated Powers
A. Borrowing Power - Sometimes the government needs to borrow money in order to make ends meet.
B. Power to Tax - The Constitution grants financial powers to raise the money need to pay for the government. The government must use the money it collects from tax, duties, imposts, and excises to pay debts and provide for the well - being of its citizens.
1. Duty - a governmental tax, especially on imports.
2. Impost - a tax or duty.
3. Excise - a tax on the production, sale, or consumption or products within the United States, such s tobacco, gas or liquor.
C. Commerce Power - The Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate and promote trade.
D. Currency Power - Under the Articles of Confederation, the Second Continental Congress issued paper money, but since the national government had no money and no authority to raise money, the currency was almost worthless. To add to the problem, each of the states issued its own currency, so that a variety of different bills were used.
E. Bankruptcies - Congress has the power to establish uniform bankruptcy laws. When a person is unable to pay his or her debts, declaring bankruptcy allows the individuals assets to be divided among the creditors.
F. War Powers - The Constitution gives Congress a wide range of war powers, including the ability to declare war and “provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.” Some of the Congress’s war powers are shared with the President, named as the commander in chief of the nation’s armed forces.
G. Other Delegated Powers - The Constitution also gives Congress control over the naturalization process, the post office, the issuing of copyrights and patents, the establishment of standard weights and measures, the creation of federal courts below the Supreme Court, and the power to acquire territories and manage federal areas.
a. Copyright - the legal right to publish, sell, perform, or distribute a literary or artistic work.
b. Patents - the government’s grant to inventors assuring them the rights to make, use, or sell their inventions for a specific period of time.
1.Implied Powers - The implied powers are those not stated specifically in the Constitution but considered as reasonable offshoots of delegated powers.
2. Nonlegislative Powers - In addition to its lawmaking powers, Congress has nonlegislative duties and responsibilities. These duties include such things at the power to propose constitutional amendments and to admit new states to the Union.
A. Impeachment
Samantha Legare
American Government
3rd Hour
3/7/06
Congress and the Legislative Branch
Structure
House of Representatives Senate
- Based on population - 2 per state
Age - 25 30
Citizenship - 7 9
Term - 2 6
No limit No limit
Lower House Upper House
Characteristics
Membership - 435 Memberships - 100
More formal and rigid rules Less formal and rigid rules
More hierarchically organized Less hierarchically organized
Acts more quickly Acts more slowly
Power concentrated Power less concentrated
Smaller constituencies Larger constituencies
Less prestige Unlimited debate
Limited debate Two or more major committee One major committee assignment assignments
Powers of Congress
1. Delegated Powers
A. Borrowing Power - Sometimes the government needs to borrow money in order to make ends meet.
B. Power to Tax - The Constitution grants financial powers to raise the money need to pay for the government. The government must use the money it collects from tax, duties, imposts, and excises to pay debts and provide for the well - being of its citizens.
1. Duty - a governmental tax, especially on imports.
2. Impost - a tax or duty.
3. Excise - a tax on the production, sale, or consumption or products within the United States, such s tobacco, gas or liquor.
C. Commerce Power - The Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate and promote trade.
D. Currency Power - Under the Articles of Confederation, the Second Continental Congress issued paper money, but since the national government had no money and no authority to raise money, the currency was almost worthless. To add to the problem, each of the states issued its own currency, so that a variety of different bills were used.
E. Bankruptcies - Congress has the power to establish uniform bankruptcy laws. When a person is unable to pay his or her debts, declaring bankruptcy allows the individuals assets to be divided among the creditors.
F. War Powers - The Constitution gives Congress a wide range of war powers, including the ability to declare war and “provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.” Some of the Congress’s war powers are shared with the President, named as the commander in chief of the nation’s armed forces.
G. Other Delegated Powers - The Constitution also gives Congress control over the naturalization process, the post office, the issuing of copyrights and patents, the establishment of standard weights and measures, the creation of federal courts below the Supreme Court, and the power to acquire territories and manage federal areas.
a. Copyright - the legal right to publish, sell, perform, or distribute a literary or artistic work.
b. Patents - the government’s grant to inventors assuring them the rights to make, use, or sell their inventions for a specific period of time.
1.Implied Powers - The implied powers are those not stated specifically in the Constitution but considered as reasonable offshoots of delegated powers.
2. Nonlegislative Powers - In addition to its lawmaking powers, Congress has nonlegislative duties and responsibilities. These duties include such things at the power to propose constitutional amendments and to admit new states to the Union.
A. Impeachment