The Legislative Branch

The legislative branch has the power to create the laws and declare war. The Legislative Branch is also known as congress. If a tie ever occurred in an election, this branch gets the power to break the tie and choose another president. This branch was created in article one of the constitution. The legislative branch is made up of the House of Representatives by one half and the Senate by the other half. The Senate has two representatives from each state. The House of Representatives bases the population of the state off of how many representatives it can have. The bigger the state, the more representatives it can have. Some states might only have 2 representatives while others might have up to 40. Both the House and the Senate have leaders

This problem was settle through something called The Great Compromise which gave both of them what they wanted. When the three branches of government came to be, a system of checks and balances also came along with it. Checks and balances are to ensure that no branch has more power than needed. Each branch puts a “restraint” on the others. The legislative branch is able to check the executive branch by impeaching an official. There are many different roles that make up the legislative branch. The role of the Speaker of the House is to supervise the meetings in the house, deciding which order everyone will go in. This person also decides how long a bill will be discussed. The Speaker is in charge of the entire house. He is able to stay in power as long as he is supported by his party. The Senate President Pro Templore’s job is to lead the Senate in the case that the vice president is not present. In the past, the Templore was elected only for the time that the vice president was absent. Now, this person is able to hold office uninterrupted. In the case of a tie, the Templore will be a tiebreaker. If the president and vice president are removed from office, the Templore is the next in line for position of the

His job is to protect and speak for the minority party. The party whips are in charge of counting votes. They also make sure that party decisions are followed through with. Party Whips are elected every two years, and the precise number of whips chosen is unclear. In order for the operation of the legislative body to be successful, committees are vital. Some of the different types of committees are as follows: Standing, Special and Select, and Joint. Standing Committees are permanent and have rules laid out for them by the chamber. Special and Select Committees are temporary and were created for a define purpose and are able to report legislation. Joint Committees typically carry out housekeeping duties. Passing a bill is a very long and difficult process. The first step is introducing the bill. It is referred to the committee where they have the choice of approving it or not. If approved, the bill will then be brought before the Senate and House. The Senate and the House have the authority to deliberate on the bill and make any changes that are needed. Before a bill can be sent to the president, it is required to be approved by both houses. When the president receives the bill, he has the choice of either signing it or he is allowed to