Federal Legislature

The upper house of the Legislature or Congress (as it is known) is the Senate. Two senators are elected by the people of each state (representing the whole state) and serve for six year terms. However, every two years one third of the senators must stand for election, so that the entire senate never faces election at any one time. Each state then, has equal representation in the Senate, but not the House. All senators must be at least 30 years old, hold citizenship for nine years, and live in the state they represent. The Vice President is the president, or leader, of the Senate, unless he is absent, in which case the President pro tempore presides over the Senate. The Senate also has the special power of trying impeachments, and may remove officials from office if two thirds of the Senators agree.

The House and Senate together comprise the Congress, the head of the Legislative branch of the Federal government. They have the power to pass federal laws by voting on any proposals, or bills, that their members submit. But each bill must receive the votes of a majority of each house before it passes. Before it can take effect, however, the President must sign the bill into law. If the President rejects, or vetoes the bill, it can only be passed with a two thirds vote from each house. The Congress must meet at least once every year and any expenditures of money must be passed by the House first.

The Congress has the power to do many things, ranging from collecting taxes, to regulating commerce, to coining money and declaring war. Also, each House regulates itself, certifying elections of its members, seating them, or expelling them by a two thirds vote.

It is also important to note that the Congress has delegated a great deal of authority via federal law to the major regulatory agencies of the federal government. These agencies are each limited in scope and authority, and are answerable to the oversight authority of Congress. They range from departments like the Social Security Administration, to the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Reserve System, to the United States Postal Service. Each agency exercises a small degree of authority delegated to it by the Congress. The chief reason for the existence of these agencies is to avoid potential overload within the Congress and streamline government, although frequently such agencies only contribute to bureaucratic inefficiency.