The Legislative Branch

​The Legislative Branch

By Lauren Barnes

The United States Congress is a vital part of the American government. The government is divided

into three branches, and Congress is the Legislative Branch. This branch is responsible for creating

laws for the entire country. The Constitution specifically gives Congress the power to make these

laws, making it a central part of how the United States operates.

Multiple Choice

What branch is responsible for making the laws for the entire country?

• Legislative branch
• Executive branch
• Judicial branch
• Administrative branch

Congress is structured with two separate parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. This

two-part structure is known as a bicameral system. Both the House and Senate must work

together to pass laws that affect everyone in the United States. This ensures that laws are

carefully considered and represent the needs of different parts of the country.

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Multiple Choice

What two houses is Congress split in?

• House of Representatives and Senate
• House of Corgis and Senate

• Senate and Assembly
• House of Bunnies and House of Lions

The House of Representatives has 435 members. The number of representatives each state gets depends on its population. States with more people have more representatives. Citizens in each state vote to choose their representatives, who then serve for two-year terms.

Multiple Choice

What decides how many representatives a state gets in the House of Representatives?

• A state's geographic size and area.
• The number of dogs

• A state's population

• The state's economy

The Senate is made up of 100 senators, with each state having two senators regardless of its population size. Senators serve longer terms of six years. The Vice President of the United States acts as the head of the Senate, with the ability to cast a tie-breaking vote when needed.

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Multiple Choice

The Senate has

• 100 members

• 50 members

• 250 memebers

• 75 members

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a step that a bill must take to become a law?

• A member of Congress must present the bill to Congress.

• The bill must be accepted by a congressional special committee.

• The bill must be voted on and passed by both houses of Congress.

• The president must sign the bill into law.

• The governor of each state must sign off on the law.

Multiple Choice

If the president vetoes a bill, what can the Congress do to override his veto and turn the bill into law?

• Once a year congress can choose to bypass the president and turn a bill directly into law.

• They can vote again on the bill and if it passes by a two-thirds majority, then it becomes a law.

• They can order the army to force the president to sign the law.

• They can pass the law when the president is on vacation and get the vice president to sign.

• They can ask the Supreme Court to overrule the president.

Besides making laws, Congress has other important responsibilities. It has the power to declare war, a significant decision that can only be made after careful consideration. Congress also controls the country's finances, deciding how money is spent on various programs and services. The House of Representatives has the power to impeach government officials, while the Senate is responsible for approving treaties with other countries and confirming presidential appointments, such as judges and ambassadors. These additional powers ensure that Congress plays a crucial role in governing the nation and maintaining checks and balances within the government.

Multiple Choice

One of the differences between countries like the United States and North Korea is that citizens in the United States have popular sovereignty. What do we mean by popular sovereignty ?

• The people choose to veto bills.

• The people have the power.

• The supreme court can make laws

• The people can nominate supreme court justices

Multiple Choice

What can Congress do if they think a government official has committed a crime?

• a. Arrest them

• b. Sentence them to jail

• c. Impeach them

• d. nothing

Open Ended

What is a law that you wish that the United States had?