Enumerated Powers and Format of the Government

How many members are in the House of Representatives?

435

How many members are in the Senate

100

What is the number of members per state in the House of Representatives?

Minimum of 1, total number determined by population of state

What is the number of members per state in the Senate?

2 per state

Minimum age requirement to be in the House of Representatives?

25 years

Minimum age requirement to be in the Senate?

30 years

What is the US Residency Requirement for the House of Representatives?

7 years

What is the US Residency Requirement for the Senate?

9 years

What is the term length in the House of Representatives?

2 years

What are the constituencies in the House of Representatives?

Citizens within a geographic district in state- most districts serve an average of 700,000 people

What are the constituencies in the Senate?

All the citizens of a state?

What is debate like in the House of Representatives?

- larger # of members debate in the HOR must be more formal in order to move bills through the process
- 2 year terms = more difficult to establish firm coalitions

What is debate like in the Senate?

- small # of members representing all the citizens in the state and constituents, senate can operate in less formal matter
- more deliberate in debate
- coalitions would be easier to build due to long terms

coalitions

Individuals and/or groups that have common interests and perspectives

Formality in the HOR

- debate = limited
- each member can speak no more than an hour (time can be shortened)
- only offer amendments to a bill that is relevant and specifically related to the bill considered
- speaker of house controls who speaks
- rules comittee= speed up, slow down or kill a bill before it gets to the floor
- rules committee schedules bills for debates, determines when voting on bill takes places

Formality in Senate

- less centralized than House
- not have strict hierarchy like the house
- senators can speak as long as they want if given the floor
- filibuster allows a senator to stall or kill bill by talking long enough to turn out a deadline on voting or get the opposition to give in

How to do the constituencies of the House and Senate differ?

- constituency of the House are people in a specific geographic space with approximately 700,000 members in each district
- senators represent all the people in their states

How does chamber size and constituencies influence the formality of debate?

- the house is large with 435 members representing small varied parts of the state people
- large size of the body calls for more formal rules to move attempt to move bills through the process
- senate has 100 members: works informally

How are coalitions in Congress affected by term length differences?

- coalitions are much easier to build and maintain in the Senate than in the house due to the longer terms of office

What can the House do that the Senate cannot?

- initiate revenue bills,
- impeach federal officials
- elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie

What can the Senate do that the House cannot?

- approve treaties
- tries impeached officials

Enumerated Power 1

Power to tax and spend for the general welfare and the common defense

Enumerated Power 2

Power to borrow money on the credit of the United States

Enumerated Power 3

To regulate commerce with states, other nations, and Native American tribes

Enumerated Power 4

To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcy

Enumerated Power 5

The power to coin money and to regulate the value of foreign money.

Enumerated Power 6

Power to punish those who counterfeit the securities and coin of the United States

Enumerated Power 7

Power to establish post offices and roads

Enumerated Power 8

Power to regulate patents and copyrights

Enumerated Power 9

Power to establish tribunals inferior from the Supreme Court

Enumerated Power 10

Power to establish piracy laws of the sea and to punish those who break those laws.

Enumerated Power 11

The power to declare war and to make rules regarding captures on both land and sea.

Enumerated Power 12

Power to raise and support Army

Enumerated Power 13

Provide and maintain the Navy

Enumerated Power 14

Make rules for the Government and regulation of naval forces

Enumerated Power 15

Power to call a militia to enforce the laws of the union and interfere with invasions.

Enumerated Power 16

Power of regulating a militia

Enumerated Power 17

Power to govern the District of Columbia and other United States of America territories for federal government purposes.

Enumerated Power 18

Authority to create laws that are necessary and proper to carry out the laws of the land (Necessary and Proper Clause)

Article 1 section 7

A bill can become a law only if, after passage by both Houses of Congress, it is presented to the President. The President then has ten days either to sign the bill into law or reject the bill and return it to Congress with an explanation of his or her objections.

cloture rule

a rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate

Fillibuster

the use of long speeches to prevent the vote on a bill

What is the House of Representatives designed to do?

- designed to represent the state population
- number of state representatives based on population of state

What is the Senate designed to do?

- designed to represent states equally
- 2 senators elected from each state

Constituency

The individuals who live within the geographical area represented by an elected official