AIMS
The aim of this gate is for you to identify and understand some of the key similarities and differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as how the process of impeachment works.
As you learned in Gate 2, the U.S. Congress is bicameral. There is the House of Representatives, with 435 members who are elected every 2 years to represent districts within states that are drawn by the legislatures of each state. Then there is the Senate, with 100 members (2 per state) elected every 6 years to represent an entire state's population. The framers of the Constitution intended the House of Representatives to be the voice of the people. Its representatives would be from smaller districts and be elected directly by the people, and much more frequently than either the President or the Senate. Since it was believed the House would therefore be more responsive to the will of the people, they specified that all revenue bills (including taxation measures, for example) must originate in the House. They also gave the House the power to impeach other government officials if they are found to have committed wrongdoing. However, the Senate was originally envisioned as being made up of senators who would be APPOINTED to the task every 6 years by a state's own legislature of elected officials, and NOT directly elected by the people (this was changed with the 17th Amendment, in 1913; since then, citizens directly elect senators as well as representatives).
In order to become laws (as we'll see in Gate 4), bills must pass through BOTH the House and the Senate, and receive a signature from the President of the United States, as well. The House and Senate have some important differences in leadership structure and customs / traditions that can affect how laws are passed. For example, the House has a Rules Committee that does not exist in the Senate, and this is one reason the Speaker of the House wields more power in the House than any one leader in the Senate typically has. A distinctive feature of the Senate that is very significant to current issues is the filibuster, which will be explained in the sources below. One of the Legislative Excursions you can complete when finished with the Article I Quiz explores the issues around the filibuster and the reconciliation process in more depth, if you are interested.
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WHAT THE
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FIRST STEP: GATE 3A ASSIGNMENT
The Impeachment Top 10*
FROM THE CONSTITUTION: Article I, Section 2, Clause 5: "The House of Representatives . . . shall have the sole power of Impeachment." Article I, Section 3, Clause 6 states: "The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present." Clause 7 of the same section adds: "Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law."
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SOURCE A
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OPEN THIS WORD DOC IN GOOGLE DOCS: Under "File," click "Save as a Google Doc." Then you can begin working on the assignment. When finished, submit it to JupiterEd by logging in to Jupiter, then clicking the "Grades" tab. Find the name of the assignment for the gate you have completed and click on it. You can then upload your assignment with the "Google Drive" option.
IF YOU'RE WORKING ON A MAC OR WINDOWS PC . . . this assignment will download as a Word document. You can complete the assignment in Word (or in Pages app), but you MUST EXPORT it to PDF and then upload the PDF version to JupiterEd. Thanks.
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STEP 2: GATE 3B ASSIGNMENT
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Use the sources below to complete the assignment, before submitting it to the Gate 3B assignment in JupiterEd.
SOURCE B
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SOURCE C
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SOURCE D
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LAST STEP: GATE 3C ASSIGNMENT
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DEFINITIONSCensus: an official count or survey of a population (taken every 10 years), typically recording various details of individuals; in the U.S., the census affects the number of districts (seats) a state will receive in the House.
Speaker of the House: the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives; has the power to decide which bills get a floor vote and under what conditions of debate. Revenue bills: these are the group of bills that impose federal taxes; according to the Constitution, these bills must originate in the House of Representatives. Impeachment: the presentation of formal charges against a public official. Senate Trial: trial of charges of impeachment that is carried out in the US Senate; a conviction by the Senate means removal from office. Senate President: under the Constitution, the vice president serves as the president of the Senate, but may only vote on a bill in order to break a tie. Senate Pro Tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the vice president (which is most of the time the Senate is in session). Majority Leader: the leader of the majority party in a legislative body (they help select committee chairs and set the party's legislative priorities). Minority Leader: the party member who directs the activities of the minority party on the floor of a legislative body. Whips (Majority or Minority): These assistant leaders are mainly responsible for counting heads and rounding up party members for votes, and they occasionally stand in for the majority or minority leaders in their absence. Confirmation: Process by which the Senate accepts or rejects the President's nominations to the Supreme Court, as well as for Lower Courts, Cabinet positions, Ambassadors, "and all other Officers of the United States." Treaty Ratification: The Constitution gives the Senate the power to approve, by a two-thirds vote, treaties made by the executive branch. Filibuster: a tactic (developed by custom) used by a member of the Senate to prevent the adoption of a measure by the majority; it often takes the form of an exceptionally long speech once a person has gained control of the floor during debate. Reconciliation Process: A process by which Congress changes existing laws to conform tax and spending levels to the levels set in a budget resolution; a reconciliation bill in the Senate only requires a simple majority and is not able to be filibustered. |