3. • Article I of the Constitution establishes Congress.
• Divided into two parts: the Senate and the House of
Representatives.
• Describes the powers given or delegated to Congress.
• Main responsibility is to make laws
• Also limits the powers of Congress and names certain things that
Congress cannot do, such as make ex post facto laws.
• Must meet at least once each year.
• Both houses of Congress meet in the Capitol Building in Washington,
D.C.
4. Enumerated Powers
• Powers specifically listed in the Constitution
• Collecting Taxes
• Coining Money
• Citizenship Rules
• Regulating Trade
• Creating an Army & Navy
• Impeaching Officials
• Approving Presidential Appointments
• Approving (Ratifying) Treaties
• Declare War
5. Powers forbidden to Congress
• Article I prohibits or forbids Congress from doing the following
• cannot pass ex post facto law
• ex post facto means "after the fact"
An ex post facto law makes an act illegal after it has been done. For example, a person gambles on a
riverboat on Monday and it's legal then, but then on Tuesday a law is passed saying anyone
who gambled on Monday has committed a crime.
• cannot pass bill of attainder
• a bill of attainder is a law that punishes a person without a trial
• cannot suspend writ of habeas corpus
• A writ of habeas corpus protects people from illegal imprisonment. A person cannot be put in jail or
prison until he or she has appeared before a judge. The reason for arrest has to be explained to the
person and the judge. Article I says this right cannot be suspended or taken away.
• cannot grant title of nobility
• Congress cannot make anyone a king or queen, duke or duchess, prince or princess. No royal titles can
be given by the United States
6. The United States Senate
Congress is divided into two houses, the Senate and the House
of Representatives.
According to the Constitution, each state elects 2 senators. Now
there are 100 senators because there are 50 states.
The number of senators has changed over the years as the number
of states in the U.S.
increased.
8. Information about Senators
• How many: 100 - 2 from each of the 50 states
• Requirements: must be 30 years old
must be a U.S. citizen for 9 years
• Term of office: 6 years
• Presiding officer: the vice president of the U.S.
or the president pro tempore of the Senate when the vice president
is absent
• Special duties: approves or disapproves treaties with other countries
approves or disapproves presidential appointments
9. Important Duties of the Senate
• Pass Bills/Laws
• Approve all Treaties
• Approve Presidential Appointments
• Tries Impeachment cases/ Is the jury in Impeachment cases
10. The House of Representatives
There are 435 members of the House.
Every state has at least one representative in the House, but states
have different amounts of representatives depending on how many
people live in the state.
The larger a state's population, the more representatives it has.
12. Information about
Representatives
• How many: 435 always
The number of representatives depends on how many people live in each
state. States with a larger total population have more members than states
with smaller populations. Each state has at least one representative.
• Requirements: must be 25 years old
must be a U.S. citizen for 7 years
• Term of office: 2 years
• Presiding officer: Speaker of the House
• Special duties: Impeach, or bring charges against, the president or federal
official
Choose a president if no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes
13. Important Duties of the House
• Pass Bills/Laws
• Establish Budget by passing Revenue Bills
• Bring charges of Impeachment
• Select the President if there is NO majority in the electoral college
after a general election
