SAMPLE American Government
Congress - Powers and Organization
The Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject many Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers. Congress is a bicameral legislature divided into two equal institutions: the House of Representatives and the Senate. They each have their own roles and responsibilities; they work together to pass legislation. No bill can become law without passing both the House and Congress.
Powers of Congress
How Congress Runs
The current holder of an office or position in relation to an election. This person has an obligation to the position or office they hold.
Incumbents
If a federal official commits a crime or otherwise acts improperly, the House of Representatives may impeach (formally charge) that official. If the official subsequently is convicted in an impeachment trial, he is removed from office.
Impeachment
It makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress’s two chambers and part of the federal government’s legislative branch.
House of Representatives
The Senate is considered the upper chamber of Congress. Every state elects two U.S. Senators, comprising 100 members in the Senate.
Senate
Political parties and voting patterns The US Constitution does not address political parties essentially. The country has had two political parties. However, the founding fathers had hoped to avoid them. GeorgeWashington favoredthe FederalistParty ;theopposingpartywasthe Democratic-Republican Party, which favored strong state governments (the first president under this party was Thomas Jefferson ). ● Political Parties : America is a multi-party system. Democratic and Republican parties are currently the primary parties in the country.. Other parties (third parties), such as the U.S., including the Reform, Socialist, Green Party, Libertarians, Constitution Party, and Natural Law Party, can promote candidates in a presidential election. ● Electing Officials : In most states, state offices include the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Supreme Courts Justices, Comptroller, Treasurer, State Senators, and state legislators. These officials are elected by the voters of the districts they serve. ● Voting :AmostcommonvotingmethodusedinU.S.electionsisthefirst-past-the-postsystem, where the highest-polling candidate wins the election. Under this system, a candidate only requires a plurality of votes to win rather than an outright majority.
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