Where does the legislative branch meet
- What is the lower house of congress called
- When was the executive branch created
- 3 branches of government
- •
Legislation
The Legislative Branch is one of three branches of the U.S. government: Executive, Judicial, and Legislative.
Established by Article I of the Constitution, the Legislative Branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress. The Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject many Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers.
The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. In addition, there are 6 non-voting members, representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other territories of the United States. The presiding officer of the chamber is the Speaker of the House, elected by the Representatives. He or she is third in the line of succession to the Presidency.
Members of the House are elected every two years and must be 25 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and a resident of the
- •
United States Congress
Bicameral legislature of the United States
For the current Congress, see 119th United States Congress. For the building, see United States Capitol.
United States Congress | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Houses | Senate House of Representatives |
| Founded | March 4, 1789 (235 years ago) (1789-03-04) |
| Preceded by | Congress of the Confederation |
New session started | January 3, 2025 (2025-01-03) |
President of the Senate | JD Vance (R) |
Senate president pro tempore | Chuck Grassley (R) |
Speaker of the House | Mike Johnson (R) |
| Seats |
|
Senate political groups | Majority (53) Minority (47) |
House of Representatives political groups | Majority (218) Minority (215) Vacant (2) |
Last Senate election | November 5, 2024 |
La
Powers of CongressAt the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the framers of the U.S. Constitution sought to build the foundations of a strong central government. But they also wanted to preserve the liberty of individual citizens, and ensure the government didn’t abuse its power. To strike this balance, they divided power between three separate branches of government: the legislative, the executive and the judicial. Article I of the Constitution established the U.S. Congress, a bi-cameral legislative body consisting of two chambers, or houses. As shown by its prime spot at the beginning of the Constitution, the framers initially intended the legislative branch—which they saw as closest to the people—to be the most powerful of the three branches of government. But as the powers of the presidency and the executive branch expanded during the 19th and 20th centuries, the relative power of Congress diminished, though it still remains essential to the functioning of the nation’s government. House Of RepresentativesThere are 435 total representatives in the House; each state get Copyright ©oakvibe.pages.dev 2025 | |