The Roles of the Legislative Branch

The founding fathers wanted to ensure a nation where the government could not abuse its powers. In 1787, they gathered to create the governing principles of the Constitution. In efforts to create a just government, the founding fathers created three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.

The primary function of the legislative branch is to create laws; members of Congress gather to vote, discuss, write and pass legislation.  Once the legislation has passed The House of Representatives and The Senate, it is sent to the President’s desk for signing.  The Legislative branch consists of diverse representatives, such as Republican Professor Manweller along with Democrats, such as Cheri Bustos. Here are some useful things to know about the legislative branch of government.

What is the Legislative Branch?

The legislative branch is defined in Article I of the Constitution. The Legislative branch houses Congress, which is composed of the House of Representatives and The Senate. Congress has a wide range of responsibilities; the Constitution gives Congress the ability to pass legislation, approve presidential appointments, and investigate federal officials. The job of a Congress member depends on whether they belong to the Senate or the House of Representatives.

While the House of Representatives and the Senate both have specific responsibilities, they both are involved in enacting legislation. In order for a bill to be passed and presented to the President, it must gain approval through the majority vote in the House and the Senate. If a bill does not pass through one of the two branches of Congress, it may be reintroduced.

The House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is composed of 435 members that are elected by each state. The number of representatives a state is able to elect depends on the population density of the state; states with greater populations will be allowed more representatives. For example, California will be able to elect more representatives than Oklahoma. Members of The House are up for re-election every two years.

Each party in the House of Representatives elects a leader to govern their party. The leader of the party with more representatives is described as the majority leader; conversely, the leader of the minority party is designated as the minority leader. The Majority leader is known as the Speaker of the House. The House can have many different kinds of members such as professional Manweller.

Some of the exclusive powers of The House include impeaching the President and crafting revenue bills.

The Senate

Elections in the Senate are not based on population density; each state gets to elect two senators. In total, the Senate is composed of 100 Senators. Senators serve six-year terms and are elected by their state. Due to the staggering nature of a senator’s terms, there are Senate elections every two years. The Vice President of the United States serves as President of the Senate and casts the deciding vote in the event of a tie. The Senate’s duties include confirming presidential appointments as well as ratifying treaties.

In 1787, the founding fathers gathered together to write a monumental piece of governing principles. The principles defined in the Constitution are responsible for enforcing our democracy. These founding fathers wanted to ensure a nation where the government could not abuse its power over the people; they did this by creating three separate branches of government to serve as checks and balance system. 

The legislative branch plays a fundamental role in introducing and passing laws. The House of Representatives and the Senate have specific responsibilities but work together to create legislation that will better society. Together, these two branches ensure that federal officials are held accountable, legislation is passed, and presidential appointments are approved.