What Is the Legislative Branch of the U.S. Government? | History
Summary
TLDRThe video script delves into the structure and functions of the US legislative branch, composed of the bicameral Congress with the House of Representatives and the Senate. It explains the origins of this system, the unique powers of each house, and the complex process of bill passage, including the roles of the Speaker of the House and the Vice President as the President of the Senate. The summary highlights the importance of Congress in representing the people and balancing national and state powers.
Takeaways
- 🏛️ The United States has three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial.
- 📜 The legislative branch consists of the United States Congress, which includes two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- 🗳️ The Constitution's Article I outlines the functions, powers, and parameters of Congress and its representatives.
- 👥 Congressmen's primary responsibilities are to represent constituents, write laws, oversee agencies, and pass bills.
- 🏢 The House of Representatives is the first and lower house, with 435 elected officials based on state population.
- 📊 To be a member of the House, one must be at least 25 years old, have lived in the US for seven years, and be elected by the people.
- 🗣️ The House of Representatives has exclusive powers, such as initiating tax laws, spending bills, and impeachments.
- 🌟 The Senate is the upper house with two senators from each state, regardless of population size.
- 📝 Senators must be at least 30 years old, have lived in the US for nine years, and are elected by the people.
- 👑 The Vice President of the United States serves as the head of the Senate with the power to cast a tie-breaking vote.
- 📜 The Senate has exclusive powers to approve presidential appointments and treaties, and it tries impeached officials.
- 🔄 The process of passing a bill involves committees, amendments, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the President.
- ⚖️ Congress is the only branch elected directly by the people and balances national power with individual state interests.
Q & A
What are the three branches of government in the United States?
-The three branches of government in the United States are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
What is the role of the legislative branch in the US government?
-The legislative branch, comprised of the United States Congress, is responsible for writing and passing all federal laws, among various other functions.
How was the debate on the type of legislature resolved during the drafting of the Constitution?
-The debate was resolved by settling on both equal and proportional representation, resulting in a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives and the Senate.
What are the two houses that form the United States Congress?
-The two houses that form the United States Congress are the House of Representatives and the Senate.
What is outlined in Article I of the Constitution regarding the legislative branch?
-Article I of the Constitution outlines the functions, powers, and parameters of the Congress and its individual representatives.
What are the primary responsibilities of a congressman?
-A congressman's primary responsibilities include representing the interests of their constituents, working together to write laws, overseeing other government agencies, and passing bills.
How many elected officials make up the House of Representatives and what determines their number?
-The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected officials, with each state allotted a number of congressmen determined by their total population.
What are the qualifications to become a member of the House of Representatives?
-To become a member of the House, one must be at least 25 years old, have lived in the US for seven years, live in the state they will represent, and be elected by the people.
What are the exclusive powers of the House of Representatives?
-The House has exclusive powers to initiate tax laws and spending bills, initiate impeachment of a president or other government officials, and cast the deciding vote in the Electoral College if there is no majority for a presidential candidate.
How many senators are there in the Senate and how are they represented?
-There are 100 senators in the Senate, with two senators from each state, ensuring equal representation regardless of state population size.
What are the qualifications to run for the Senate and the term of service for senators?
-To run for the Senate, one must be at least 30 years old, have lived in the US for nine years, and live in the state they will represent. Senators serve six-year terms, with a third of the Senate up for re-election every even year.
What is the role of the Vice President in the Senate?
-The Vice President of the United States serves as the head of the Senate but may only cast a vote in the event of a tie.
What are the exclusive powers of the Senate?
-The Senate exclusively has the power to approve presidential appointments and treaties, and it is responsible for trying government officials when the House moves to impeach.
What is the process for a bill to become law in the United States Congress?
-A bill can originate in either the House or the Senate, goes through committees, amendments, and floor debates, moves to the other chamber for the same process, and if edits are made, goes back for another vote. Both chambers must approve the exact same bill before it can move to the President for approval. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto with a 2/3 majority vote in both houses.
Why is it said that failing to pass legislation is an inevitable part of congressional routine?
-Failing to pass legislation is an inevitable part of congressional routine due to the complex process of bill passage, the need for consensus between the two chambers, and the potential for presidential vetoes.
How does Congress balance the relationship between the power of the nation and the individual states?
-Congress balances the relationship between the power of the nation and the individual states through its bicameral structure, which includes representation based on population in the House and equal representation of states in the Senate.
Outlines
🏛️ Structure and Function of the U.S. Congress
The United States Congress, part of the legislative branch, is composed of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Constitution's Article I outlines their powers and functions. The House of Representatives consists of 435 members elected based on state population, serving two-year terms. It has exclusive powers to initiate tax and spending bills and impeachments. The Senate, with two members from each state, has equal representation regardless of population size and serves six-year terms. It holds the power to approve presidential appointments and treaties. Both houses work together to pass bills, which involves a complex process of committees, amendments, and debates, culminating in a presidential approval or veto, which can be overridden by a 2/3 majority vote in both houses.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Legislative Branch
💡Bicameral Legislature
💡House of Representatives
💡Senate
💡Constituents
💡Bills
💡Impeachment
💡Electoral College
💡Speaker of the House
💡Veto
💡Constitution
Highlights
The U.S. has three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial.
The legislative branch includes the United States Congress, which is responsible for writing and passing federal laws.
The Founding Fathers debated between equal and proportional representation for the legislature.
The legislative branch consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Article I of the Constitution outlines the functions, powers, and parameters of Congress.
A congressman's responsibilities include representing constituents, writing laws, and overseeing government agencies.
The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected officials based on state population.
Members of the House must be at least 25 years old, have lived in the U.S. for seven years, and be elected by the people.
Congressmen serve two-year terms and can be re-elected every even year.
The Speaker of the House leads the House of Representatives and is elected by its members.
The House has exclusive powers, such as initiating tax laws, spending bills, and impeachment.
The Senate is composed of 100 members, with two senators from each state, regardless of population size.
Senators must be at least 30 years old, have lived in the U.S. for nine years, and live in the state they represent.
Senators serve six-year terms, with a third of the Senate up for re-election every even year.
Before the 17th Amendment, senators were elected by state legislatures; now they are elected by the people.
The Vice President of the United States is the head of the Senate and casts a vote in case of a tie.
The Senate has the exclusive power to approve presidential appointments and treaties, and to try impeached officials.
Both houses have the power to tax, coin money, declare war, and regulate foreign and interstate commerce.
Passing a bill involves committees, amendments, floor debates, and approval by both chambers.
If a bill is vetoed by the president, Congress can attempt to override with a 2/3 majority vote in both houses.
Congress is the only branch elected directly by the people and balances national and state powers.
Transcripts
- There are three branches
of government in the US,
legislative, executive,
and judicial.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
The legislative branch
is comprised of the United States
Congress, the bicameral
legislature responsible for
writing and passing all federal laws,
among various other functions.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Back when the Founding Fathers
drafted the Constitution, debate
stirred over the type of legislature
they'd have, one with equal
representation, ie, the same number
of representatives for each state,
or of proportional representation,
in which the number of representatives
reflected the size of each state's
population.
Unable to choose, they
settled on both, a legislative branch
with two houses, the House
of Representatives and the Senate,
which together, form the Congress.
This was all outlined in Article I
of the Constitution, which also notes
the functions, powers,
and parameters of the Congress
and its individual representatives.
A congressman's primary
responsibilities include representing
the interests of their constituents,
working together to write laws,
overseeing other government agencies,
and passing bills.
But of course, that's all way easier
said than done.
To understand how it all works,
we have take a closer look
at the makeup of the two distinct houses.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
The first and lower house
is the House of Representatives
made up of 435 elected officials.
Each state is allotted a number
of congressmen determined
by their total population.
To become a member of the House,
one must be at least 25,
have lived in the US for seven years,
live in this state they will represent,
and be elected by the people.
Congressmen serve two-year terms
and are up for re-election
every even year.
The House is led by the Speaker
of the House, who is elected by the House
of Representatives.
The House has a few exclusive powers
not shared by the Senate.
Only the House can initiate tax laws
and spending bills.
Only the House can initiate impeachment
of a president or other government
officials.
And in the event that there is no majority
in the Electoral College for one
of the presidential candidates,
it's the House who casts
the deciding vote.
The Senate, or the Upper House,
is made up of only 100
elected members with two senators
from each state.
Here, a state like Wyoming
has as strong a voice as California,
even though California
has a much larger population.
To run for Senate, one
must be at least 30 years old,
have lived in the US for nine years,
and live in the state that they
will represent.
Senators serve six-year terms.
Every even year, a third of the Senate
is up for re-election.
Before the 17th amendment
was ratified in 1912, senators
were elected by the state legislatures.
But now, they are elected
by us, the people.
The vise president of the United States
serves as the head of the Senate,
but he or she may only
cast a vote in the event of a tie.
The Senate exclusively
has the power to approve
presidential appointments
and treaties.
And when the House moves to impeach
a government official,
it's the Senate that tries them.
Together, both houses have the power
to tax, coin money, declare war,
and regulate foreign and
interstate commerce.
But Congress's bread and butter
is writing and passing bills.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Getting a bill passed is no easy task.
A bill can originate in either the House
or the Senate.
But before it gets voted upon,
it goes through a series
of committees, and amendments,
and floor debates.
After a vote, it moves
to the other chamber, and the process
continues.
If the one chamber makes any edits
to a bill passed by the other,
it has to go back for another vote.
The House and Senate must vote to approve
the exact same bill before it
can move on.
If it fails to get a majority vote,
it has to be reintroduced.
If it passes, it goes to the president's
desk for approval.
If the president chooses
to veto a bill, which essentially voids
it, Congress can push back
the veto override.
But to do this, they needed 2/3 majority
vote in both houses.
Failing to pass legislation
is an inevitable part of congressional
routine.
Congress is the only branch of government
whose members are elected directly
by the people, and the only part
of government that tries to balance
the relationship between the power
of the nation and the individual states.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
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