Article One Legislative Branch

House vs. Senate

• 435 Representatives• Based on population-

More people more reps• Elected directly by the

people• Each state must have at

least one representative

• 100 Senators• 2 For every state• Originally elected by

state legislatures,• 17th Amendment

changed this to directly by people

House vs. Senate

• Term of office 2 yrs. unlimited

• 25 yrs. Old minimum• US citizen 7 yrs.• Must be a resident of the

state you represent• Title of the leader is • Speaker of the House-• John Boehner (R)

• Term of office 6 yrs. unlimited

• 30 yrs. Old minimum• US Citizen 9 yrs.• Must be a resident of

the state you represent• Title of the leader is• President of the Senate• Vice Pres. Of US.• President Pro Tempore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Daniel_Inouye_Official_Photo_2009.jpg

NY’s US Senators

House

• Every 10 yrs. a Census-population count is taken nation wide.

• The Census is used to make any adjustments in the amount of rep.’s a state has.

• States can lose/gain/stay same

• This is known as Reapportionment/Redistricting

• Each state is split into • Congressional Districts• Each district has its

own representative.• The number of districts

a state has depends on how many representatives it has.

• NY 29 Districts=29 Reps• 19th District John Hall

• Selects vice president• Approves all

presidential treaties and presidential supreme court choices

• Earn Salary $170,000 yr.

House vs. Senate

• Selects President if no candidate wins majority of electoral votes

• Begins all revenue bills• Earn Salary $170,000 yr.

House vs. Senate

• Impeaches elected official-formally charges w/crime– House conducts inquires and investigates– Need 1 more than 50% to impeach (accuse)=218

• Acts as jury in impeachment trial• Senators act like jurors• Chief Justice presides• 2/3 vote needed to convict=67 Senators

House vs. Senate

• Forbidden Powers (safeguard people’s freedoms) AKA Denied Powers– 1- Ex Post Facto Law: makes something illegal after

the act has been done- person cannot be held responsible

– 2- Writ Of Habeas Corpus: requires a court to hold a hearing for a person accused of a crime (can be suspended during a national emergency)

– 3- Bill of Attainder: cannot sentence someone to jail without granting a trial

House vs. Senate

• Main job of Congress is to pass laws– Bill: a proposed law– Must be passed by both the House and Senate &

usually the President – System of Committees looks at the bills >

impossible for full House or Senate to look at all bill (20,000 a year)• Committees studies the bill and votes if it should go to

full House or Senate• Most bills “die” in committee

House vs. Senate

• President’s Choices on A Bill1- Sign the bill..becomes a law2- Veto the bill > Congress can override3- Pocket the Bill

- if Congress is in session, a pocketed bill becomes law without President’s signature after 10 days

- if Congress is not in session, a pocketed bill is vetoed after 10 days (pocket veto)

House vs. Senate

• Influences on Congress– Lobbyists: people hired by a special interest group

to influence Congress– Experts: provide info to committees on certain

bills– Constituents: voters who are represented by a

member of Congress

Blue vs. Red States