Chapter 12 Section 1 D Reading And Review Congress Organizes Answer Key

Chapter 12 Section 1 D Reading And Review Congress Organizes Answer Key Chapter 12 Section 1 D Reading and Review Congress Organizes Answer Key This document serves as an answer key for the Reading and Review section of Chapter 12 Section 1 focusing on the organization of Congress It will guide you through the key concepts and provide detailed answers to the review questions Understanding Congress Congress the legislative branch of the US government is responsible for making laws It is bicameral meaning it consists of two chambers the Senate and the House of Representatives Each chamber has distinct functions and powers The House of Representatives Representation The House has 435 members with the number of representatives for each state determined by its population This ensures proportional representation where larger states have more representatives than smaller states Role The House originates all revenue bills and has the power of impeachment It also plays a significant role in approving presidential appointments and treaties Leadership The House is led by the Speaker of the House chosen by the majority party The Speaker is the presiding officer and plays a key role in setting the legislative agenda The Senate Representation The Senate has 100 members with two senators from each state regardless of population This ensures equal representation for all states Role The Senate confirms presidential appointments ratifies treaties and tries impeachment cases It also plays a crucial role in shaping legislation Leadership The Senate is led by the Vice President who presides over the chamber but can only vote to break a tie The daytoday operations are managed by the Senate Majority Leader chosen by the majority party Key Terms Bicameral A legislature with two chambers 2 Impeachment The process of formally accusing a public official of wrongdoing Revenue bills Laws that raise money for the government Filibuster A tactic used in the Senate to delay a vote by talking continuously Cloture A procedure used to end a filibuster Answer Key to Reading and Review Questions 1 What are the two chambers of Congress The two chambers of Congress are the House of Representatives and the Senate 2 How many members are in the House of Representatives How are they chosen There are 435 members in the House of Representatives They are chosen by election in each state with the number of representatives for each state determined by its population 3 How many members are in the Senate How are they chosen There are 100 members in the Senate with two senators from each state They are chosen by election 4 What is the difference between the House and Senate in terms of representation The House of Representatives provides proportional representation based on population meaning larger states have more representatives The Senate provides equal representation for all states with two senators regardless of population 5 What is the role of the Speaker of the House The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives They are chosen by the majority party and have significant influence over the legislative agenda 6 What is the role of the Senate Majority Leader The Senate Majority Leader is the leader of the majority party in the Senate They manage the daytoday operations of the chamber and play a key role in shaping legislation 7 What are the three main powers of the Senate The three main powers of the Senate are Confirmation of presidential appointments The Senate confirms presidential appointments to key positions such as Cabinet members federal judges and ambassadors Ratification of treaties The Senate ratifies treaties negotiated by the President with other countries Trying impeachment cases The Senate tries impeachment cases originating from the House 3 of Representatives 8 What is a filibuster A filibuster is a tactic used in the Senate to delay a vote by talking continuously It is a powerful tool that can be used to block legislation 9 What is cloture Cloture is a procedure used to end a filibuster in the Senate It requires a vote of 60 senators 10 What is the difference between a bill and a law A bill is a proposed law that is introduced in either the House or Senate A law is a bill that has been passed by both chambers of Congress and signed by the President 11 Describe the process a bill goes through to become a law The process of a bill becoming a law is as follows A bill is introduced in either the House or Senate Committee Review The bill is sent to the relevant committee for review and possible amendments Floor Debate If the committee approves the bill it is sent to the floor of the chamber for debate and a vote Passage in Both Chambers The bill must be passed by both the House and Senate in identical form Presidential Action The bill is sent to the President who can sign it into law veto it or let it become law without a signature after 10 days 12 Why is Congress organized in this way Congress is organized in this way for several reasons Checks and Balances The bicameral structure provides a system of checks and balances ensuring that no one branch of government becomes too powerful Representation The House and Senate provide different forms of representation ensuring that both the interests of individual citizens and the interests of states are considered Legislative Deliberation The system of committees and floor debates allows for thorough consideration of legislation before it is passed into law Additional Resources US House of Representatives Website httpswwwhousegovhttpswwwhousegov 4 US Senate Website httpswwwsenategovhttpswwwsenategov Congressgov httpswwwcongressgovhttpswwwcongressgov This answer key should provide a solid foundation for understanding the organization of Congress By delving deeper into the specific powers and responsibilities of each chamber you can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the legislative branch and its role in the US government