Article 1: The Legislative Branch

Summary

This video script delves into Article 1 of the Constitution, detailing the structure and functions of the Legislative Branch, or Congress. It comprises the House of Representatives and the Senate, each with distinct roles and requirements for members. The script explains the law-making process, impeachment powers, and Congress's authority over finance, commerce, and federal budget. It also touches on the creation of essential institutions and restrictions on states, ensuring a balanced federal system.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ Article 1 of the Constitution outlines the Legislative Branch, also known as Congress, which is responsible for writing laws.
• 🏢 Congress is divided into two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
• 🗳️ Members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years, must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and a legal resident of the state they represent.
• 🌆 The number of seats in the House of Representatives is based on state population, with at least one seat guaranteed per state, and it is currently capped at 435.
• 👨‍💼 The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives, ensuring order for law debates and passage.
• 🗳️ Senators are elected every six years, must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and a legal resident of the state they represent.
• 🌐 Each state has two Senators, leading to a total of 100 Senators in the Senate.
• 🎖️ The Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate, casting tie-breaking votes, with the President Pro Tempore leading in his absence.
• 💼 Congress has various powers, including impeachment, taxation, borrowing money, regulating interstate commerce, coining money, and controlling the federal budget.
• ⚖️ The House of Representatives can impeach a President accused of wrongdoing, while the Senate holds impeachment trials to determine guilt.
• 🏦 Congress also has the authority to create post offices, roads, federal courts, declare war, and regulate the military.
• 📜 Article 1 guarantees the Writ of Habeas Corpus, prohibits Bills of Attainder and Ex Post Facto laws, and places restrictions on states such as not allowing them to make treaties or coin money.

Q & A

What is the primary function of the Legislative Branch as described in Article 1 of the Constitution?

The primary function of the Legislative Branch, as described in Article 1 of the Constitution, is to write laws.

How is the Legislative Branch divided?

The Legislative Branch is divided into two houses: The House of Representatives and the Senate.

What are the key differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate?

The key differences include the election term (every two years for the House vs. every six years for the Senate), the age requirement (25 years old for the House vs. 30 years old for the Senate), the residency requirement (legal resident of the state for both but different rules for representation), and the number of seats (based on population for the House with a total of 435 seats, and two seats per state for the Senate with a total of 100 seats).

Why was the number of seats in the House of Representatives frozen at 435?

The number was frozen at 435 in 1929 because the House was getting too big to manage effectively.

Who is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives?

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House.

What is the role of the Vice President in the Senate?

The Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate, and his role is to keep order and vote on a bill only to break a tie.

Who leads the Senate when the Vice President is absent?

When the Vice President is absent, the President Pro Tempore, chosen by the Senate, leads the Senate.

What is the impeachment power of the Legislative Branch?

The impeachment power allows the House of Representatives to impeach (accuse of a crime) the President, and the Senate to hold the impeachment trial to decide if the President is guilty.

What are some of the financial powers granted to Congress?

Congress has the power to raise money by collecting taxes, borrow money by selling government bonds, regulate interstate commerce, coin money, and control the federal budget.

What does the term 'interstate commerce' mean in the context of Congress's powers?

Interstate commerce refers to business transactions or trade that occurs between two or more states.

What are some additional powers granted to Congress by Article 1?

Additional powers include creating post offices, roads, and federal courts, as well as declaring war and regulating the military.

What protections does Article 1 guarantee for individuals?

Article 1 guarantees the Writ of Habeas Corpus, which is the right to appear before a judge after arrest to hear the charges, and it outlaws Bills of Attainder and Ex Post Facto laws.

What are some of the restrictions placed on states by Article 1?

Article 1 restricts states from making treaties with other countries and coining their own money, among other limitations.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Overview of the Legislative Branch

This paragraph introduces Article 1 of the Constitution, focusing on the Legislative Branch, also known as Congress. It explains that the Legislative Branch is responsible for writing laws and is divided into two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives is located on one side of the Capitol building, while the Senate meets on the other. Each house has distinct roles and characteristics, with the House having members elected every two years, who must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and a resident of the state they represent. The number of seats in the House is based on state population, with a minimum of one seat per state, and a cap of 435 seats set in 1929. The Speaker of the House presides over the House, maintaining order for law debates and passage.

🌟 Composition and Powers of the Senate

The paragraph details the Senate's composition and powers. Senators are elected every six years, must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and a legal resident of their state. Each state is represented by two Senators, totaling 100 Senators. The Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate, maintaining order and voting to break ties, though often absent, with the President Pro Tempore leading in his absence. The Senate shares law-making responsibilities with the House of Representatives and has specific powers related to impeachment, where the House can impeach (accuse) and the Senate holds trials to determine guilt.

💵 Financial Powers of Congress

This section outlines Congress's financial powers. It has the authority to raise revenue through taxation, with revenue bills originating in the House and potentially amended by the Senate. Congress also has the power to borrow money by issuing government bonds and to regulate interstate commerce, overseeing business activities between states. Additionally, Congress is responsible for minting and regulating currency, including coins and paper money, and managing the federal budget. Other powers include establishing post offices, roads, federal courts, declaring war, and regulating the military.

📜 Additional Powers and Limitations

The final paragraph discusses additional powers granted to Congress by Article 1 and certain limitations imposed on the states. Congress has the power to guarantee the Writ of Habeas Corpus, ensuring the right to appear before a judge after arrest to hear charges. It also prohibits Bills of Attainder, which deny individuals the right to trial, and Ex Post Facto laws, which could make laws retroactive. The paragraph concludes by mentioning restrictions on states, such as not being allowed to make treaties with other countries or coin their own money.

Keywords

💡Constitution

The Constitution refers to the fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. In the context of the video, it is the supreme law of the United States, and the script discusses Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which outlines the structure and powers of the Legislative Branch.

💡Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch is one of the three branches of the U.S. federal government, responsible for making laws. The video script explains that it is composed of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate, each with distinct roles and powers in the law-making process.

💡House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress. As described in the script, members of the House are elected every two years, must meet certain age and citizenship requirements, and are allocated based on state population, with each state guaranteed at least one representative.

💡Senate

The Senate is the other chamber of the United States Congress. According to the script, senators are elected every six years, must be at least 30 years old, and have been citizens for at least nine years. Each state is represented by two senators, making a total of 100 senators.

💡Speaker of the House

The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The script mentions that the Speaker's role is to maintain order during sessions so that laws can be debated and voted upon.

💡President of the Senate

The President of the Senate is the title given to the Vice President of the United States when he presides over the Senate. As the script explains, the Vice President's role is to maintain order and cast deciding votes in case of a tie, though he often delegates this duty to the President Pro Tempore when absent.

💡Impeachment

Impeachment is the process by which the House of Representatives can bring charges against the President for alleged misconduct. The script uses the analogy of the police and the court to describe the roles of the House and Senate in the impeachment process.

💡Revenue Bill

A revenue bill is a legislative proposal that involves raising public money through taxes. The script specifies that revenue bills must originate in the House of Representatives and can be amended by the Senate before becoming law.

💡Interstate Commerce

Interstate commerce refers to the exchange of goods and services across state lines. The script highlights that Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce, which is a critical aspect of the U.S. economy.

💡Coin Money

The power to coin money refers to Congress's authority to determine the types of currency used in the United States. The script mentions that it is up to Congress to decide the value and types of coins and paper money in circulation.

💡Writ of Habeas Corpus

The Writ of Habeas Corpus is a legal principle that requires a person under arrest to be brought before a court or judge. The script explains that Article 1 guarantees this right, ensuring that individuals can challenge their detention.

💡Bills of Attainder

Bills of Attainder are legislative acts that impose punishment without a trial. The script states that Article 1 of the Constitution outlaws these acts, emphasizing the importance of due process and the right to a fair trial.

💡Ex Post Facto Laws

Ex Post Facto laws are laws that retroactively change the legal status of an action, making it illegal after it was committed. The script explains that Article 1 prohibits such laws, protecting individuals from being charged for actions that were legal at the time they were performed.

Highlights

Article 1 of the Constitution covers the Legislative Branch, also known as Congress.

The Legislative Branch is divided into two houses: The House of Representatives and the Senate.

The House of Representatives is responsible for writing laws and is located on one side of the Capital building.

The Senate is responsible for writing laws and is located on the other side of the Capital building.

Members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years.

Representatives must be at least 25 years old and a citizen of the United States for at least seven years.

Representatives must be legal residents of the state they represent.

The number of seats in the House is based on state population, with each state guaranteed at least one seat.

The number of seats in the House was frozen at 435 in 1929.

The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives.

Senators are elected every six years, must be at least 30 years old, and a citizen of the United States for at least nine years.

Each state is represented by two Senators, totaling 100 Senators.

The Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate.

The President Pro Tempore leads the Senate in the absence of the Vice President.

The Legislative Branch has the power of Impeachment.

The House has the power to impeach, and the Senate holds impeachment trials.

Congress has several powers related to money, including raising taxes and selling government bonds.

Congress regulates interstate commerce.

Congress has the power to coin money.

Congress oversees the federal budget.

Article 1 grants Congress the power to create post offices, roads, and federal courts.

Congress has the power to declare war and regulate the military.

Article 1 guarantees the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

Article 1 outlaws Bills of Attainder and Ex Post Facto laws.

Article 1 places limits on states, such as not allowing them to make treaties or coin their own money.

Transcripts

Today we will learn about Article 1 of the Constitution.

Article 1 goes over the Legislative Branch or in other words Congress.

The Legislative Branch's job is to write laws, and it is divided into two houses to get that job done.

The House of Representatives who meet on this side of the Capital building

and the Senate who meet over here on this side.

The House of Representatives and the Senate, each write laws, but they have a few key differences.

According to Article 1, members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years, must be at least 25 years old,

and have been a citizen of the United States for at least seven years.

They must also be a legal resident of the state they are running to represent.

Each state is given a number of seats in the House based on their population,

each state is guaranteed to have at least one seat.

The number of seats in the House has grown over time, as more and more states have joined the country,

but in 1929, the number was frozen at 435, because the House was just getting too big to manage.

Can you imagine 435 people in one room

talking over each other and trying to keep order?

Speaking of keeping order, the presiding officer of the House is called the Speaker of the House

and his job is to try to keep order, so laws can be debated and passed.

According to Article 1 of the Constitution, Senators are elected every six years,

must be at least 30 years old, and have been a citizen of the United States for at least nine years.

They must also be a legal resident of the state they are running to represent.

Each state get two Senators, and since there are currently 50 states, right now there are 100 Senators total.

The presiding officer of the Senate is the Vice president of the United States,

in this role he is known as the President of the Senate,

he keeps order, but only votes on a bill to break a tie.

Often the vice-president is absent from the Senate, because he is off seeing to other business,

in his absence the President Pro Tempore

who was chosen by the Senate as a whole, leads the Senate.

The Legislative Branch is a variety of powers listed in Article 1.

One is the Impeachment power, each of the two Houses play a role in removing the President from office.

If the president is suspected of wrongdoing the House has the power to impeach. Impeach means accused of a crime.

The Senate then has the power to hold the impeachment trial, or to decide if the president is guilty of the crime.

In this sense, you could think of the House of Representatives like police, because they are the ones who accuse the president of a crime, and the Senate as a court

because, they conduct the trial to determine if the president is guilty.

Congress has several powers that pertain to money.

Congress has the power to raise money by collecting taxes.

Any bill that pertains to raising money is called a revenue bill; and must be originally written by the House,

they are then sent to the Senate, who may edit them before sending them back to the House.

Congress also has the power to borrow money by selling government bonds.

Additionally, Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce.

Interstate means between two or more states and commerce is business,

so basically, Congress has the power to oversee business between two or more states.

Congress has the power to coin money, so it is at their discretion that we use pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar bills, of varying values.

And Congress also has power over the federal budget.

Additional powers include: but are not limited to, the powers to create post offices, roads, and the federal courts,

and the powers to declare war and regulate the military.

Article 1 also includes a few other items:

it guarantees the Writ of Habeas Corpus, or the right to appear before a judge, if you have been arrested, to hear what crimes you're being charged with.

It outlaws Bills of Attainder, which take away a person's right to trial,

and Ex Post Facto laws, which would make laws retroactive

meaning individuals could be charged with breaking a law even if their action wasn't against the law at the time they did it.

Finally, Article 1 also places some limits on the states:

not allowing them to make treaties with other countries, or coin their own money, among other restrictions