Playing Cards To Learn: Bill To Law

The How a Bill Becomes a Law board game is an educational tool designed to teach students about the legislative process in a fun and interactive way. The game covers key topics such as two-thirds vote, veto, the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President. Players take on the role of members of Congress, proposing bills and navigating the complex journey from the floor of Congress to the President's desk. The game mechanics include dice rolling, drawing cards, and moving pieces on a game board. The game is intended to be engaging and addictive, providing a memorable learning experience for students studying civics, government, and U.S. history.

The Legislative Branch's lawmaking process

Proposing a Bill:

The process begins with a member of Congress proposing a bill on the floor of either the House of Representatives or the Senate. The bill can address various topics, such as funding for clean energy initiatives, raising the minimum wage, or providing tax relief for certain purchases.

Navigating Committees:

Once introduced, the bill must pass through relevant committees. These committees discuss and revise the bill before deciding whether to advance it to the next stage. A bill may face challenges at this point, such as opposition from special interest groups or a lack of support from committee members.

Floor Votes and Filibusters:

If the bill makes it out of the committees, it proceeds to the chamber floor for a vote. Here, it faces the risk of filibustering, where a senator may attempt to delay or block the vote by continuously speaking. To overcome a filibuster, an even number must be rolled, invoking cloture and allowing the vote to proceed.

Conference Committees:

If the bill passes the floor vote in the Senate, it then goes to a conference committee, which combines members from both the House and the Senate. This committee works to compromise and create a final version of the bill that both chambers can agree on.

Presidential Approval:

After passing both chambers, the bill lands on the President's desk. The President can choose to sign the bill into law or veto it. If vetoed, Congress has the power to override the veto by a two-thirds vote in both houses.

Understanding the Challenges:

The board games effectively highlight the challenges of lawmaking. Students experience the difficulties of navigating different interests and the intricate steps required to turn a bill into law. They also learn about the roles of various entities, such as the House, the Senate, and the President, in the legislative process.

Congress and the President

Congress

Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives is composed of 435 Members elected every two years from among the 50 states, apportioned according to their total populations. The Senate, on the other hand, is composed of 100 Members, two from each state, elected by the people. Each Senator has one vote, and each Representative has one vote.

Congress has the power to pass a bill over a presidential veto by a two-thirds vote of both houses. The chief function of Congress is the making of laws, and any Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico in the House of Representatives may introduce a bill at any time while the House is in session.

Once a bill is introduced, it is referred to the appropriate committee or committees for consideration. There are 20 standing committees in the House and 16 in the Senate, each with a specific subject matter jurisdiction. The committees provide intensive consideration of a proposed measure and a forum for public input. After committee consideration, the bill goes through several stages, including the Committee of the Whole, general debate, and amendments, before it is ready for a final vote.

The President

The President plays a crucial role in the process, as a bill must be presented to the President to become a law. The President has the power to approve or veto a bill. If the President approves, they sign the bill, and it becomes a law. However, if the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to Congress, which can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses.

Additionally, the President has the obligation to report to Congress on the "State of the Union" and recommend measures for consideration. These executive communications are a significant source of legislative proposals, often transmitted by members of the President's Cabinet or the President themselves. The annual budget proposal is one of the most important executive communications, forming the basis for appropriation bills drafted by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

Filibusters and conference committees

The "How a Bill Becomes a Law" board game is designed to teach students about the legislative process in a fun and engaging way. One of the key steps in this process is dealing with filibusters and conference committees.

Filibusters

A filibuster is a procedural tactic used in the Senate to delay or block a vote on a bill. Senators can use a filibuster to defeat a measure by "talking it to death". In the game, if a player's bill makes it to the Senate floor for a vote, they must select a "Filibuster or Not?" card to see if their bill has been filibustered by another Senator. To break the filibuster, players must roll an even number, which allows them to invoke cloture and proceed with the vote.

Conference Committees

Conference committees are formed when the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill. The committee is made up of members from each house, usually senior members appointed by the presiding officers. The committee works to reach a compromise between the two versions of the bill. If a compromise is reached, a written conference report is prepared and submitted to both chambers for approval.

The game helps students understand the challenges of navigating filibusters and conference committees, giving them a hands-on experience of the legislative process.

Two-thirds vote and veto

The following paragraphs detail the process of a two-thirds vote and veto in the context of how a bill becomes a law in the United States:

The legislative process in the United States involves several steps, including proposing a bill, navigating committee and floor votes, and potentially facing a filibuster or veto. One critical aspect of this process is the requirement of a two-thirds vote to override a presidential veto. This mechanism showcases the system of checks and balances in the US government, ensuring that laws are passed with significant support and consideration.

When a bill has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is presented to the President for approval. The President has the power to veto, or reject, the bill, preventing it from becoming a law. However, Congress can override the presidential veto and pass the bill into law with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. This process underscores the importance of consensus-building and negotiation in lawmaking.

The two-thirds vote required to override a presidential veto is calculated based on the number of members present and voting, excluding abstentions and absences. This calculation method ensures that the support for overriding the veto is substantial and representative of the legislative body. It is worth noting that the two-thirds vote requirement refers to two-thirds of a quorum, as clarified by the Supreme Court.

The ability to override a veto with a two-thirds vote serves as a crucial check on the executive branch's power. While the President has the authority to veto bills, Congress can ultimately pass them into law with a strong show of support. This dynamic highlights the delicate balance of powers between the legislative and executive branches in the US system.

Additionally, the two-thirds vote and veto process is not limited to the federal level. State and local governments often have similar mechanisms in place. For example, state governors may have veto power over bills passed by the state legislature, which can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses of the legislature. This ensures that laws are enacted with broad support and consideration of diverse perspectives.

House of Representatives and Senate

The following paragraphs outline the process of how a bill becomes a law, focusing on the roles of the House of Representatives and the Senate in this process.

Any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate can propose legislation. Bills are introduced in either the House or the Senate, where they attract co-sponsors and are studied and debated in committees. These committees then decide whether to pass the bills onto the full chamber. To advance to the President's desk, a bill must pass both the House and the Senate in identical form. The President can then choose to sign the bill into law or veto it.

In the game "How a Bill Becomes a Law," players select a Proposed Bill Card and determine whether their bill begins in the House or the Senate. By rolling dice, players attempt to navigate their bill through the standing committees and onto the chamber floor for a vote. If a bill makes it to the Senate floor, players draw a "Filibuster or Not?" card to determine whether their bill has been filibustered. Rolling an even number allows players to invoke cloture and break the filibuster.

Once a bill has passed both chambers, it moves on to the President's desk. Players of the game pick a "Sign or Veto" card to determine the President's decision. If the President vetoes the bill, players have one more chance to override the veto. Otherwise, their bill is dead.

The game is designed to be engaging and fun, helping students understand the complexities of the legislative process in a memorable way. By playing the game, students experience the challenges and frustrations of getting a bill passed, reinforcing their knowledge of the law-making process in the United States.

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