Cecily Zamora
The legislative branch of the government is responsible for creating laws. In the United States, the legislative branch is known as Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Congress has the sole authority to enact legislation, declare war, confirm or reject presidential appointments, and levy taxes and tariffs to fund essential government services. While Congress has the power to create laws, the President can veto legislation, and Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. At the state level, each state has its own constitution and legislature, which consists of elected representatives who create state laws. The federal and state governments share power, while local governments derive their power from the state.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the governmental body | Congress |
| Composition | House of Representatives and the Senate |
| Powers | To enact legislation, declare war, confirm or reject Presidential appointments, and investigative powers |
| Other Powers | To ratify treaties, pass legislation, and send it to the President for signature |
| Other Characteristics | One of the three coequal branches of government |
| Local Government | Mayors, city councils, and other governing bodies are directly elected by the people |
| State Government | Executive, legislative, and judicial branches |
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What You'll Learn
The US Congress
In the United States, Congress is the governmental body responsible for creating laws. It is one of the three coequal branches of the federal government, alongside the executive and judicial branches. Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which work together to form US law.
The US Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation, declare war, and confirm or reject many Presidential appointments. The Constitution also gives Congress substantial investigative powers. All legislative power in the government is vested in Congress, meaning that only this branch can make new laws or change existing ones.
The process of creating a law begins with the introduction of a bill to Congress. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Anyone can write a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation. A bill can be proposed by a sitting member of the US Senate or House of Representatives, or it can be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee that will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research and discussion. If the bill passes both the House and the Senate by majority vote, it is sent to the President for their signature.
The President may veto bills passed by Congress, but Congress may override this veto if two-thirds of both the Senate and the House of Representatives vote in favor of the bill. Congress can also remove the President from office in exceptional circumstances.
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The House of Representatives
In the United States, the House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the country's federal legislature, the United States Congress. The House of Representatives and the Senate together form the United States Congress, which is the law-making branch of the federal government. The Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation and make or change laws.
The legislative process in the House of Representatives involves the introduction of a bill, which can be proposed by a sitting member of the House or petitioned by citizens. The bill is then assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes. The bill is then put before the chamber for a majority vote. If the bill passes, it goes to the Senate for a similar process. Once both bodies accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. The bill then requires a majority vote in both chambers to be passed and sent to the President. The President may then sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action, in which case, the bill may become law or die, depending on whether Congress is still in session.
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The Senate
The United States Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The legislative branch, established by Article I of the Constitution, consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress.
In summary, the Senate plays a crucial role in the legislative process by confirming presidential appointments, ratifying treaties, and trying impeachment cases. It has equal legislative power with the House of Representatives, but its procedural differences emphasize deliberation and debate. The Senate's continuing nature and longer term lengths contribute to its unique role within the legislative branch of the US government.
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State and local governments
In the United States, powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for state and local governments. While the federal government and state governments share power in numerous ways, local governments must be granted power by the state.
State legislatures are responsible for modifying existing laws and creating new statutes, developing the state government's budget, confirming executive appointments, impeaching governors, and removing other members of the executive branch from office. Each state has its own constitution, which often includes more detail than its federal counterpart. For example, the Alabama Constitution contains 310,296 words—over 40 times as many as the US Constitution.
State legislatures are bicameral, consisting of two chambers: an upper house (the Senate) and a larger lower house (the House of Representatives, Assembly, or House of Delegates). Nebraska is the only state with a unicameral legislature. The two chambers work together to make laws and fulfill other governing responsibilities.
Local governments generally consist of two tiers: counties (or boroughs or parishes) and municipalities (cities or towns). Municipalities can be structured in various ways, as defined by state constitutions, and are called townships, villages, boroughs, cities, or towns. Cities are considered municipal "corporations" that can produce and implement their own laws and public policies. For example, the City of New York creates its own sales tax, separate from the New York State sales tax. The legislative body of a municipality is typically called a city council, and it exercises the power to make public policy.
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The President
In the United States, the President does not have the power to create laws. The legislative power of the government is vested in the United States Congress, which is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and is the only governmental body that can make new laws or change existing ones.
At the state level, each state has its own constitution and government structure, consisting of executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The legislative branch, composed of elected representatives, considers matters proposed by the governor or its members to create legislation that becomes law.
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Frequently asked questions
Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, is the lawmaking branch of the US federal government.
Congress has the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war. It can also override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The President can either sign a bill into law or veto it and send it back to Congress. The President can also nominate heads of federal agencies and high court appointees, including Justices of the Supreme Court.
Each state has its own constitution and legislature, which consists of elected representatives who consider matters brought forth by the governor or introduced by its members to create legislation that becomes law. State governments also have the power to make laws that do not conflict with federal laws.
