Questions and Answers
What is the primary function of the legislative branch?
To create laws
What is Congress?
Congress is the legislative, or lawmaking, branch of our national government, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
What is a legislature?
A deliberative body empowered to make, change, or repeal the laws.
What does the legislative branch do?
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What does the House of Representatives do?
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What is the Senate?
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Which chamber of Congress has the greatest law-making authority?
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How do people feel about Congress?
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How hard is it for a bill to be passed into law?
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What are the steps a bill must go through to become a law?
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What is the purpose of the 'committee' in the legislative process?
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What is a 'conference committee'?
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What are two major functions of Congress?
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What is the difference between 'Substantive' and 'Descriptive' representation?
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What is the number one goal of all elected officials?
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What are some functions of Congress?
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What is bicameralism?
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What are some consequences of house apportionment for elections?
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What are the major differences between the House and Senate?
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Study Notes
Legislative Branch Overview
- Primary function of the legislative branch is to create laws.
- Comprises Congress, which shares power with the president and the Supreme Court, and consists of two parts: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Congress
- Congress is the national legislative body responsible for lawmaking.
- The House of Representatives is tasked with making and passing federal laws.
- The Senate serves as an assembly representing citizens with high deliberative functions.
Legislative Process
- Makes it extremely hard for a bill to become law to ensure quality and benefits for the country.
- A bill must pass in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate and be approved by the president to become law.
Committees in Legislation
- Committees, known as "little legislatures," have final authority on pieces of legislation with standing committees being the most important.
- Conference committees reconcile differences when bills pass in different forms in both chambers.
Representation
- Congress performs two major functions: lawmaking and representation.
- The difference between substantive representation (advocating for policy preferences) and descriptive representation (reflecting the demographic make-up of constituents) shows Congress is better at substantive representation.
Incentives for Elected Officials
- The primary goal of all elected officials is to secure re-election.
Functions of Congress
- Functions include bicameralism, lawmaking, representation, constituent services, oversight, public education, and conflict resolution.
Bicameralism
- Refers to the division of the legislature into two separate assemblies.
House Apportionment Consequences
- Reapportionment allocates House seats to each state after a census.
- Redistricting involves redrawing district boundaries within each state.
Differences Between House and Senate
- The House is directly elected every two years and has exclusive authority to introduce tax bills; it is larger than the Senate.
- The Senate requires longer terms and is designed for more deliberative governance.
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Test your knowledge of the legislative branch with these flashcards. Learn key terms such as Congress, its functions, and the structure of the legislature. Perfect for students studying government or civic education.