Study Guide for G&C Assessment 1: The Anatomy of the Constitution and the Legislative Branch

What document establishes the nation's government?

The document that establishes the nations’s government is the U.S. Constitustion.

What does the preamble do?

The preamble introduces the U.S. Constitution and states it’s goals and purposes.

What is the responsibility of the legislative branch?

The responsibility of the legislative branch is to make federal laws, declaring war, and controlling taxing and spending policies.

What happens in a “representative democracy”?

Representative democracy is a system where citizens elect officials to make laws

What does Article I of the Constitution create?

Article I of the U.S. Constitution establishes the Legislative Branch of the federal government, specifically Congress and the House of Representatives/Senate

What are the two parts of the Legislative branch?

The House of Representatives and the Senate.

What does Article II of the Constitution create?

Article II of the Constitution creates the Executive Branch of the federal government.

What is the job of the Executive Branch?

is responsible for implementing, enforcing, and administering federal laws

What position is in charge of the Executive Branch?

the US president

What does Article III of the Constitution create?

the federal judicial branch

What is the job of the Judicial Branch?

interprets laws, applies them to individual cases, and determines if laws and governmental actions are unconstitutional or not

Which court is created by Article III?

Supreme Court of the United States

What power does Article IV give states?

honor each other’s laws, legal proceedings, records, and treat citizens of other states equally

What is an Amendment?

a change to a legal document or constitution to improve or update it

How many members are there in the House of Representatives?

435 voting members

What are the House of Representatives elected to represent?

Each individual state (the population of each state determines how many representatives there are)

Representative Term Length

Two year terms - they can be re-elected as many times as they would like to run for, there is no limit.

Title of leadership position in the House of Representatives

Speaker of the House

How many members are there in the Senate?

50 members (2 per state)

What are the members of Senate elected to represent?

the entire population of their respective state

Senator term length

6 years and 1/3 gets re-elected every 2 years

Title of leadership position in the Senate

Vice President of the U.S, President pro tempore, and Senate Majority Leader

What responsibilities do Congressional leadership have?

sets the legislative agenda, manages floor debates, and enforces party discipline to pass legislation. They also raise funds for various causes/reasons.

What do committees do?

specialized groups within legislative bodies or organizations that analyze, debate, and refine proposals, legislation, or projects

What are expressed powers?

powers explicitly stated or given

What are implied powers?

Powers that are not explicitly stated, but are hinted at or unspoken.

What are lawmaking powers?

the constitutional authority vested in a legislative body (such as the U.S. Congress) to draft, debate, amend, and enact laws

What are non-legislative powers?

responsibilities of Congress that do not involve creating laws.