Introduction

branchesThe United States spent eight long years of desperate fighting for independence from 1775 to 1783. By 1789, the Founding Fathers had set up about constructing a government "congenital on the cardinal conviction of revolutionary-era republicanism: that no central authorization empowered to coerce or discipline the citizenry was permissible , since it merely duplicated the monarchical and aloof principles that the American Revolution had been fought to escape. The United States is now the oldest enduring republic in globe history, with a set of political institutions and traditions that have stood the examination of fourth dimension."

According to House.gov , "To ensure a separation of powers, the U.S. Federal Government is made up of 3 branches: legislative, executive and judicial. To ensure the regime is effective and citizens' rights are protected, each branch has its own powers and responsibilities, including working with the other branches." This is oft referred to every bit " checks and balances ," and prevents whatsoever i office of government from wielding as well much political power.

Why information technology Matters

America benefits from a judicial branch positioned to halt executive branch overreach. The President of the United states cannot stay in power indefinitely and is unable to force the U.S. Congress to pass laws. From the very kickoff, and nonetheless to today, the American people have access to and influence over their elected representatives.

The Firm of Representatives most directly reflects the desires of the American public due to the ratio of American citizens to U.S. Representatives and the constant election cycle every two years. Much of the deadlock of the U.S. regime that nosotros witness today reflects a divided American people.

This brief focuses on the Legislative branch of the U.S. government, in particular the House of Representatives, including the nuts and bolts of how its inner workings, and how everyday citizens can influence the legislative process. For a brief on the U.Southward. Senate, click hither .

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What is the Legislative Branch?

The legislative co-operative is made upwards of the House of Representatives and the Senate , known collectively as the Congress. Among other powers, the legislative branch "makes all laws, declares war, regulates interstate and strange commerce and controls taxing and spending policies."

CrashCourse U.Southward. Government and Politics, produced in collaboration with PBS, explains the Bicameral Congress (9 min):

Of all federal regime institutions, the House of Representatives is designed to be closest to American voters, nearly closely reflecting the individual cares and concerns of American taxpayers. In fact, the House is the simply institution that has been straight elected past American voters since its formation in 1789.

"'If proportional representation takes place, the modest States argue that their liberties will be in danger. If an equality of votes is to be put in its place, the large States say their money will be in danger,'" explained Benjamin Franklin . What eventually "emerged from weeks of stalemate was chosen the 'Groovy Compromise' and created a bicameral legislature with a House, where membership was determined past state population, and a Senate, where each state had two seats regardless of population."

Size and Structure of the House

In that location are 435 representatives in the House , and have been since the number was fixed by law in 1911. Each House representative is elected to a 2-year term serving the people of a specific congressional commune in a state. "Each state receives representation in the House in proportion to the size of its population simply is entitled to at least one representative." This ways that states with large populations have more representatives than small states have. Representation based on population was "one of the most of import components of the Federal Ramble Convention of 1787," as ane of the founders' greatest concerns was designing a arrangement of government that would ameliorate represent the public than did the British model from which they had won independence.

In addition to the 435 representatives from united states, at that place is a Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico and Delegates from Washington D.C., American Samoa, Guam, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands. The Resident Commissioner and Delegates are able to serve and vote on committees, but do not take the same full voting rights as the 435 state representatives.

The Role of the Census

Specifically, seats in the House " are apportioned based on land population according to the constitutionally mandated Census."  The Census, which occurs every x years and is overseen past the Bureau of the Demography, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Tying representation to Census information allows the number of each state's representatives to increase or decrease along with fluctuations in land population. The Census data is then used to determine congressional districts, areas in the state from which representatives are elected to the House. This process is chosen redistricting. For more on redistricting and the Census, run across The Policy Circumvolve's Decennial Demography Cursory.

Elections

Members of the Business firm of Representatives " must stand for election every two years , after which it convenes for a new session and essentially reconstitutes itself – electing a Speaker, swearing-in the Members-elect, and approval a slate of officers to administer the institution." Biennial elections are held in November, and the Congress commences in the following January. To be elected, a representative must be at least 25 years old, a U.s. citizen for at to the lowest degree vii years, and a resident of the land he or she represents. U.Southward. House candidates are not required to live in the congressional district they represent.

The Life of a Representative

According to Congressional Management Foundation'south Life in Congress study , when representatives are in Washington, D.C., they written report spending their time as follows:

  • 35% on "Legislative/Policy Work"
  • 17% on "Constituent Services Piece of work"
  • 17% on "Political/Campaign Piece of work"
  • nine% on "Press/Media Relations"
  • 9% on "Family unit/Friends"
  • 7% on "Administrative/Managerial Work"
  • vi% on "Personal Time"

When in their dwelling commune, they reported spending time as follows:

  • 32% on "Elective Services Piece of work"
  • 18%  on "Political/Campaign Piece of work"
  • fourteen% on "Press/Media Relations"
  • 12%  on "Legislative/Policy Work"
  • ix% with "Family/Friends"
  • 8% on "Personal Time"
  • 7% on "Administrative/Managerial Work"

Compensation

Commodity I, Section 6 of the Constitution requires Congress to determine its own pay. Congress'south " current automatic adjustment formula , which is based on changes in private sector wages," was established by the Ideals Reform Act of 1989. The last pay adjustment was in Jan 2009. Since, most representatives earn $174,000 annually, while the bulk and minority leaders brand $193,400. The Speaker earns the largest salary at $223,500. Additionally, representatives "are bailiwick to some specific laws and regulations regarding the acceptance of gifts ," peculiarly gifts from registered lobbyists or from private entities that retain or employ a lobbyist.

What does the Business firm of Representatives do?

Responsibilities of the House

Per the Constitution , the House and Senate together make and pass federal laws, introduce bills and resolutions, offering amendments, and serve on committees that enable members to develop specialized noesis on the matters under that committee'due south jurisdiction. Though both make upward Congress, at that place are a few distinctions between the ii. In particular, the Constitution "provides that simply the Firm of Representatives may originate revenue bills, " and by tradition information technology also originates appropriation bills.

Additionally, while the Constitution does not specifically mention investigations and oversight , "the authority to deport investigations is implied since Congress possesses 'all legislative powers'." The House initiates impeachment proceedings and passes articles of impeachment (the Senate sits as a court to try the impeachment).

Finally, during a presidential election, the House of Representatives steps in if no candidate receives a majority of the total balloter votes. Each state delegation has ane vote to choose the President from amid the elevation 3 candidates with the largest number of electoral votes.

Leadership in the House

Later on each election, the party that wins the most representatives is designated the " Bulk ." The other party is the " Minority. " The majority party holds fundamental leadership positions, such as Speaker of the House. The aforementioned political party can have the majority in both the Firm of Representatives and the Senate, or the chambers can be carve up. Tertiary parties rarely have enough members to elect their ain leadership, so independents mostly join i of the larger party organizations to receive committee assignments.

The Firm is run by majority rule.  When a majority of members vote to do something in the House, it gets done. Majority dominion makes passing legislation relatively efficient, and that means that the party in the minority has less power to set the agenda or pass its proposals. This contrasts with the Senate, where a single senator – in the majority or the minority – can mostly forcefulness a vote or stop a pecker in its tracks.

House Leadership includes the Speaker of the House, Majority and Minority Leaders, and Bulk and Minority Whips.

The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the Business firm, and is elected by the members of the House. The Speaker administers the Adjuration of Office to Business firm members, chairs certain committees or nominates committee chairs (namely the chairs of the House Administration Committee and the Rules Committee ), and appoints members of various committees and House staff. After the Vice President, the Speaker is 2nd in line to succeed the Vice President.

Bulk and Minority Leaders correspond their corresponding parties on the House floor. Each is elected by his or her respective party. The bulk leader is second to the Speaker and schedules legislative business concern, planning legislative agendas rather than serving on committees. The minority leader serves every bit the minority party's spokesperson, essentially the minority party's counterpart to the Speaker. He or she too chairs the minority party'south committee assignment panel.

Majority and Minority Whips serve as middlemen to between their party leaders and members. They "maintain communication between the leadership of the party and its members, marshal back up for political party positions on the floor, count votes on cardinal legislation, and persuade wavering Members to vote for the party position."

The Speaker of the House is elected past the entire House of Representatives, while the Republican Conference and Autonomous Caucus elect the other leadership positions. The Republican Conference is the formal organisation of Republican Members in the Firm, and the Democratic Caucus is that of the Autonomous Members.

See current House Leadership positions hither.

The Role of Committees

Committees " are permanent panels governed by House sleeping room rules, with responsibleness to consider bills and issues and to accept general oversight relating to their areas of jurisdiction." Committees take different legislative jurisdictions, but each considers, shapes, and passes laws related to its jurisdiction, and monitors agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdiction. Each committee has a chair that leads the full commission, and a ranking member who leads the minority members of the committee. Committee assignment straight affects a representative's work in Congress. Later on a Congressional ballot, political parties assign newly elected representatives to standing committees

Crash Class U.S. Government & Politics explains what Congressional committees practise (8 min):

Some of the nigh well-known committees include:

  • The Firm Commission on Ways and Means , which oversees all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures.
  • The House Committee on Appropriations , which has jurisdiction over setting specific authorities expenditures.
  • The House Committee on Strange Affairs , which has jurisdiction over foreign assist and oversees national security developments affecting foreign policy.
  • The House Committee on the Judiciary, which oversees the judiciary and civil and criminal proceedings.

Most committees are regular standing committees, which proceed from one Congress to the adjacent. There are also select committees, special committees formed for a short menses of time for a specific purpose such as an investigation, and at that place are several joint committees with the Senate. See a total list of all Firm Committees here .

Legislation in the Firm

Legislation begins with an idea . It may come from a Congressman, a staffer, a constituent, or a thought leader or practiced on a given subject. You may remember the School House Rock video , which walks through the legislative process in an attainable way and is smashing to share with your kids (3 min):

Drafting Legislation

Working with House parliamentarians —  lawyers and clerks who provide nonpartisan guidance on rules and procedures — and other Congressional staff on Capitol Hill, the Congressional representative'south staff drafts the bill. The parliamentarians accept specific expertise; they piece of work closely with staff in a non-partisan manner to draft the specific language of the bill. Staff works to build sponsors and cosponsors before the beak is introduced.

Introducing a Pecker

Any Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner can introduce a bill when the firm is in session by " placing it in the 'hopper, '" a box on the House Clerk'due south desk in the Capitol edifice. The Member who introduces the nib is known as the main sponsor. The neb is and then formally assigned a number past the Clerk. A nib originating in the Firm volition start with "H.R." (for the Business firm of Representatives, as opposed to "S." for the Senate). The Speaker'south office then assigns that pecker to its committee(s) of jurisdiction, which then assigns the bill to a subcommittee(s).

Committee Process

The Subcommittee seeks input from relevant departments and agencies and holds public hearings. Later on hearings, there is a markup on the legislation , in which "views of both sides are studied in particular and at the determination of deliberation a vote is taken to make up one's mind" whether or not the subcommittee recommends the bill to the full committee. In the full committee, the subcommittee reports on the bill; this meeting provides an opportunity for Members to amend the legislation. There is as well the possibility that the committee tables the bill or fails to accept action , which prevents the neb from reaching the full House. You tin watch House Committee hearing videos here .

To get to the full House, the committee staff writes a study describing the purpose of the bill, why the pecker is recommended, and an assay of each part of the bill and how the neb may touch on existing police force. A total commission mark-up and the determination of what legislation makes it to the Business firm floor is tightly controlled past the Committee Chairman's office and leadership. When the legislation is reported favorably out of the full commission it awaits a decision by leadership to schedule time for information technology to be debated on the Business firm floor. This decision is a negotiation based on priorities of the commission and of leadership.

Later on a commission has reported a pecker, the bill is placed on the agenda . This ways the bill is eligible for flooring consideration, just not that information technology volition necessarily arrive to the floor. In the House, information technology is up to the majority political party leadership to decide which bills the House volition consider on the flooring, and in what society.

Commission on Rules

Once leadership has decided that a specific slice of legislation will receive floortime, the House Majority Leader alerts the commission of jurisdiction that the bill will be considered on the House Floor, and this kicks off the Rules Committee process.

The Committee on Rules , or Rules Committee, is i of the oldest standing committees in the House. The Commission is commonly known as "The Speaker's Committee" – prior to 1910, the Speaker chaired the Rules Commission, and today information technology is the mechanism by which the Speaker maintains control of the Firm Floor. The Rules Committee is sometimes also referred to as " the traffic cop of the House ," equally it determines how much fourth dimension will be immune for debate on each piece of legislation considered on the House floor, and if whatever (and which) amendments will exist allowed to be considered during the debate.

Virtually bills are considered under a procedure known every bit break of the rules , "which limits argue to 40 minutes and does not allow amendments to be offered by members on the floor." Otherwise, the bill is considered nether terms tailored for the particular bill. In this case, the Firm adopts a resolution called a special dominion from the Rules Committee. After the Rules Committee reports the rule for because the bill and the House votes to adopt the dominion, the House can so proceed to the floor debate.

Floor Debate

Once the rule has been adopted, the House commonly considers the neb "in a procedural setting called the Committee of the Whole , which is essentially "the Business firm assembled in a different form; it is a committee of the House equanimous of every Representative that meets in the Firm bedroom." This procedure "allows members an efficient way to consider and vote on amendments."

After the flooring debate on amendments and the underlying legislation, the Committee of the Whole reports to the full House, which and then votes on the bill. The nib passes the House past a uncomplicated majority , 218 votes of the 435 total. It then goes to the Senate and waits to exist scheduled for flooring time.

Come across The Policy Circle's Senate Brief to see how the process continues.

Additional Resource

Glossary of terms

Different types of legislation

Alternative legislative procedures in the Firm

Ways to Get Involved/What You Can Do

Mensurate & Place : Who are the influencers in your state, canton, or community? Learn about their priorities and consider how to contact them

  • Do you know who your Congressional Representative is ? What nearly your land elected officials ?
  • Runway your representatives' votes with GovTrack .

Reach out: You are a catalyst. Finding a mutual cause is a great opportunity to develop relationships with people who may be exterior of your immediate network. All information technology takes is a small team of two or three people to set a path for real improvement. The Policy Circle is your platform to convene with experts you want to hear from.

  • Find allies in your community or in nearby towns and elsewhere in the country.
  • Foster collaborative relationships with colleagues, neighbors, friends, and local organizations to mobilize an effort to bring attention to your result to your local Congressional office. Too achieve out to community leaders to educate them and request their engagement on the issue.

Plan: Set some milestones based on your state's legislative agenda .

  • You can detect the legislative agenda for the House of Representatives hither .
  • Don't hesitate to contact The Policy Circumvolve team, communications@thepolicycircle.org , for connections to the broader network, advice, insights on how to build rapport with policy makers and establish yourself as a civic leader.

Execute: Give information technology your best shot. You can:

  • Research: Make sure yous know the facts about the outcome y'all are raising. Government agencies, think tanks, and media outlets can all be adept resource. Remember to research all sides of the issue to make certain you sympathize various angles. You can also talk with people who are afflicted by the issue with which y'all are concerned; anecdotal information combined with measured data can be powerful.
  • Write: Although we may be more inclined to email in the digital age, writing an quondam-fashioned letter to your local elected representatives or to members of Congress is still one of the almost constructive ways to influence lawmakers.
      • Run into these tips for stride-by-stride instructions to write letters to elected officials, including how to address your representative, reference specific legislation, and properly send your correspondence.
  • Organize: Organize people to telephone call in, follow-up on written textile, and reach out to other community members to brainwash them on the effect. Demonstrating broad support can exist very effective in influencing a legislator to support your position.

Working with others, yous may create something great for your community. Here are some tools to learn how to contact your representatives and write an op-ed .