The legislative branch is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate or Congress. The House is made
up of 435 members. These members come from different states, and the number of Representatives a state has in
Congress is based off of population. In order to run for the House, you must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the
U.S. for seven years, and a resident of the state at election time. The Senate is made up of 100 members or two from
each state. In order to qualify for the Senate, you must be 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for nine years, and a resident of
the state. The number of people in Congress was decided by the framers of the Constitution through the Great
Compromise. Big states wanted the number of representatives in Congress to be made up decided by state
population. More populated states would have more say than smaller states. Smaller states wanted the number of representatives from each state to be equal. The Great Compromise made Congress a bicameral legislature with the
Senate in equal representation from the states and the number of representatives in the House based on state
population. Senators serve a six year term while Representatives only serve a two year term. Elections are held in every even-numbered year. In these even-numbered years, the whole House is elected, and 1/3 of the Senate is elected every two years. The Legislative Branch has the powers to enact laws, declare war, confirm or reject the President's ideas, collect taxes, and borrow money on U.S. credit. The Legislative Branch has used its power in history to impeach Andrew Johnson and sign the Treaty of Paris for just a couple examples.
Elastic Clause
It is stated in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution that Congress has the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers. This reading is known as either the elastic clause or the necessary and proper clause, and it is very important. Basically, this clause gives the Legislative Branch the power to ratify any laws that it thinks are necessary to carry out the normal functions of government.
Impeachment Process
If the President does any misconduct, they could be impeached or forced from office through a step-by-step ruling called the impeachment process. In the House, the Judiciary Committee decides whether or not to keep moving forward with impeachment. If they decide to proceed, the Chairman of the committee will propose a Resolution to begin formal inquiry on the issue. Then, the Judiciary Committee will send another Resolution warranting impeachment. The house will vote on each Article of Impeachment. If any Article is approved by majority vote, the President will be impeached but move onto a trial that the Senate sets procedures for. A select group of House members will be the prosecutors, and the Senate will serve as the jury. The Senate will comes up with the verdict, and a 2/3 vote will convict the President. This will actually remove the President from office and maybe not allow him to serve in any public office down the road.
up of 435 members. These members come from different states, and the number of Representatives a state has in
Congress is based off of population. In order to run for the House, you must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the
U.S. for seven years, and a resident of the state at election time. The Senate is made up of 100 members or two from
each state. In order to qualify for the Senate, you must be 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for nine years, and a resident of
the state. The number of people in Congress was decided by the framers of the Constitution through the Great
Compromise. Big states wanted the number of representatives in Congress to be made up decided by state
population. More populated states would have more say than smaller states. Smaller states wanted the number of representatives from each state to be equal. The Great Compromise made Congress a bicameral legislature with the
Senate in equal representation from the states and the number of representatives in the House based on state
population. Senators serve a six year term while Representatives only serve a two year term. Elections are held in every even-numbered year. In these even-numbered years, the whole House is elected, and 1/3 of the Senate is elected every two years. The Legislative Branch has the powers to enact laws, declare war, confirm or reject the President's ideas, collect taxes, and borrow money on U.S. credit. The Legislative Branch has used its power in history to impeach Andrew Johnson and sign the Treaty of Paris for just a couple examples.
Elastic Clause
It is stated in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution that Congress has the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers. This reading is known as either the elastic clause or the necessary and proper clause, and it is very important. Basically, this clause gives the Legislative Branch the power to ratify any laws that it thinks are necessary to carry out the normal functions of government.
Impeachment Process
If the President does any misconduct, they could be impeached or forced from office through a step-by-step ruling called the impeachment process. In the House, the Judiciary Committee decides whether or not to keep moving forward with impeachment. If they decide to proceed, the Chairman of the committee will propose a Resolution to begin formal inquiry on the issue. Then, the Judiciary Committee will send another Resolution warranting impeachment. The house will vote on each Article of Impeachment. If any Article is approved by majority vote, the President will be impeached but move onto a trial that the Senate sets procedures for. A select group of House members will be the prosecutors, and the Senate will serve as the jury. The Senate will comes up with the verdict, and a 2/3 vote will convict the President. This will actually remove the President from office and maybe not allow him to serve in any public office down the road.