Legislative Branch Review

"Congressional Elections"

"Elections held every two years for the House of Representatives and 1/3 of the Senate."

"Election Timing"

"Congressional elections take place in November of even-numbered years."

"House of Representatives"

"The entire House is up for election during Congressional elections."

"Senate Terms"

"Senators serve staggered 6-year terms."

"Mid-term Elections"

"Elections held in off years when there is no Presidential election."

"Speaker of the House"

"The leader chosen by the majority party to preside over the House."

"Role of Speaker"

"Presides, keeps order, recognizes speakers, refers bills, assigns committees, and signs bills."

"President of the Senate"

"The Vice President of the U.S. who presides over the Senate."

"Voting Power of V.P."

"The Vice President only votes in case of a tie."

"President Pro Tempore"

"Assumes the role of Vice President in their absence, usually the longest-serving majority senator."

"Majority Leader"

"The leader chosen by the majority party members in either the House or Senate."

"Minority Leader"

"The leader chosen by the minority party members in either the House or Senate."

"Spokesman"

"A representative or spokesperson for a party platform."

"Committees"

"Groups in Congress that handle specific tasks or areas of legislation."

"Standing Committees"

"Permanent committees in Congress that focus on specific areas of legislation."

"House Committees"

"Notable committees in the House include Ways & Means and Armed Services."

"Senate Committees"

"Notable committees in the Senate include Foreign Relations and Finance."

"Chairman"

"The leader of a committee, typically from the majority party and based on seniority."

"Select Committees"

"Temporary committees created for a specific purpose, usually investigative."

"Joint Committees"

"Committees composed of members from both the House and Senate."

"Conference Committee"

"A committee that resolves differences between House and Senate versions of a bill."

"House Size"

"The House of Representatives has 435 members."

"Senate Size"

"The Senate consists of 100 members."

"House Term"

"Members of the House serve a term of 2 years."

"Senate Term"

"Senators serve a term of 6 years."

"Constituency"

"The House represents smaller districts, while the Senate represents larger constituencies."

"Age Requirement"

"The minimum age to serve in the House is 25, and in the Senate, it is 30."

"Prestige"

"The Senate is generally considered to have more prestige than the House."

"Media Visibility"

"Senators have more visibility in the media compared to House members."

"Debate Rules"

"The House has strict rules and limited debate, while the Senate has flexible rules and nearly unlimited debate."

"Work Distribution"

"In the House, more work is done in committees; in the Senate, work is split between committees and the floor."

"Treaty Power"

"The Senate has the power to confirm treaties and presidential appointments, unlike the House."

"Congressional Powers"

"Congress has powers related to money, taxation, borrowing money, and controlling trade."

"Gibbons v. Ogden"

"A landmark case that clarified Congress's power to control interstate and foreign trade."

"Ogden"

"A reference to a significant case or concept in U.S. law."

"Coin Money"

"The power of the government to produce currency."

"Bankruptcy Laws"

"Laws established to manage the process of insolvency."

"War Powers"

"The authority to engage in military action."

"Raise Army"

"The power to recruit and maintain military forces."

"Declare War"

"The formal act of a government to engage in war."

"Amend Constitution"

"The process of making changes to the Constitution."

"Impeachment Power"

"The authority to accuse and remove officials from office."

"Senate Trial"

"The process where the Senate conducts a trial for impeachment."

"Executive Power"

"The authority to enforce laws and manage the government."

"Presidential Appointment"

"The process by which the President selects officials, subject to Senate approval."

"Treaty Approval"

"The Senate's role in ratifying international agreements."

"Post Offices"

"Government-managed services for mail delivery."

"Naturalization Process"

"The procedure for granting citizenship to foreigners."

"Copyrights & Patents"

"Legal protections for creators of original works and inventions."

"Weights and Measures"

"Standards for quantifying physical quantities."

"Electoral Majority"

"The majority of electoral votes needed to win the presidency."

"Letters of Marque"

"Government licenses authorizing private individuals to engage in acts of war."

"Legislative Power"

"The authority to create laws."