SAMPLE American Government

‭Chapter 3:‬ ‭Congress: Rules and Operations‬ ‭Overview‬

‭Overview‬

‭Congress‬‭is‬‭divided‬‭into‬‭2‬‭houses:‬‭the‬‭House‬‭of‬‭Representatives‬‭and‬‭the‬‭Senate.‬‭In‬‭this‬‭lesson,‬‭we‬‭will‬ ‭explore‬ ‭the‬ ‭organization‬‭of‬‭Congress,‬‭standing‬‭committees,‬‭temporary‬‭committees,‬‭and‬‭the‬‭process‬‭of‬ ‭impeachment.‬ ‭Learning Objectives‬

‭At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:‬

‭1.‬ ‭Understand‬ ‭the‬ ‭parts‬ ‭of‬ ‭Congress,‬ ‭Lobbyists,‬ ‭the‬ ‭Congressional‬ ‭Record,‬ ‭and‬ ‭how‬‭committees‬ ‭operate.‬ ‭2.‬ ‭Understand how the US budget operates, currency, post offices, and inventions.‬ ‭3.‬ ‭Discuss the federal courts, war powers, state militias, and the powers of Congress.‬ ‭A. Congress: Rules and Operations‬ ‭Section 5, Article I‬ ‭●‬ ‭Each‬‭House‬‭shall‬‭be‬‭the‬‭judge‬‭of‬‭the‬‭elections,‬‭returns,‬‭and‬‭qualifications‬‭of‬‭its‬‭members,‬‭and‬‭a‬ ‭majority‬ ‭of‬ ‭each‬ ‭shall‬ ‭constitute‬ ‭a‬ ‭quorum‬ ‭to‬ ‭do‬‭business,‬‭but‬‭a‬‭smaller‬‭number‬‭may‬‭adjourn‬ ‭from‬ ‭day‬ ‭to‬ ‭day‬‭and‬‭may‬‭be‬‭authorized‬‭to‬‭compel‬‭the‬‭attendance‬‭of‬‭absent‬‭members,‬‭in‬‭such‬ ‭manner, and under such penalties, as each House may provide.‬ ‭●‬ ‭Each‬ ‭House‬ ‭may‬ ‭determine‬ ‭the‬ ‭rules‬ ‭of‬ ‭its‬ ‭proceedings,‬ ‭punish‬ ‭its‬ ‭members‬ ‭for‬ ‭disorderly‬ ‭behavior, and expel a member with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member.‬ ‭●‬ ‭Each‬ ‭House‬ ‭shall‬ ‭keep‬ ‭a‬ ‭journal‬ ‭of‬ ‭its‬ ‭proceedings‬ ‭and,‬ ‭from‬ ‭time‬ ‭to‬ ‭time,‬‭publish‬‭the‬‭same,‬ ‭excepting‬ ‭such‬ ‭parts‬ ‭as‬ ‭may,‬ ‭in‬ ‭their‬ ‭judgment,‬ ‭require‬ ‭secrecy.‬ ‭The‬ ‭yays‬ ‭and‬ ‭nays‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭members‬ ‭of‬ ‭either‬ ‭House‬ ‭on‬ ‭any‬‭question‬‭shall,‬‭at‬‭the‬‭desire‬‭of‬‭one-fifth‬‭of‬‭those‬‭present,‬‭be‬ ‭entered in the journal.‬ ‭●‬ ‭Neither‬ ‭House,‬‭during‬‭the‬‭session‬‭of‬‭Congress,‬‭shall,‬‭without‬‭the‬‭consent‬‭of‬‭the‬‭other,‬‭adjourn‬ ‭for‬ ‭more‬ ‭than‬ ‭three‬ ‭days‬ ‭nor‬ ‭to‬ ‭any‬ ‭other‬ ‭place‬ ‭than‬ ‭that‬ ‭in‬ ‭which‬ ‭the‬ ‭two‬ ‭Houses‬ ‭shall‬ ‭be‬ ‭sitting.‬ ‭How does Congress operate?‬ ‭Congress‬ ‭enacts‬ ‭laws‬ ‭that‬ ‭influence‬ ‭the‬ ‭daily‬ ‭lives‬ ‭of‬ ‭all‬ ‭Americans‬ ‭and‬ ‭is‬ ‭intended‬ ‭to‬ ‭serve‬ ‭as‬ ‭the‬ ‭people's‬‭voice.‬‭Its‬‭responsibilities‬‭include‬‭funding‬‭government‬‭functions‬‭and‬‭programs,‬‭holding‬‭hearings‬ ‭to inform the legislative process, and overseeing the executive branch.‬

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