Am Govt Homework 2 Answers - Student Eight

MadisonT

Answer the first five questions, and then two of the remaining three: 1. What do you think are the six most important powers of Congress? All the powers of Congress are very important, but I think that taxing power, spending power, war power, citizenship power, intellectual property power and commerce power are the six most important powers of Congress.

2. What prevents New Jersey from requiring homeschoolers to take public school exams each year? In the “No Child Left Behind” law, homeschoolers added to it that public schools can not accept certain federal money if they require homeschoolers to take the same exams that public school students take. Because of this, homeschoolers can not take annual public school exams.

3. Explain what fraction (approximately) of the U.S. Senate is elected every two years, and the reason why only some of the senators are up for election on Election Day. Approximately 1/3 of the Senate is elected on Election Day, which is every even number year, on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in November. This is also the same day all the congressmen are elected in the House of Representatives. After two months, in January, the senators will take their office.

4. Describe in simple terms how a "bill" becomes law at the federal level. (E.g., a congressional committee first considers proposed legislation ....) First, the bill is drafted in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. Then, it is read aloud for a public hearing, called a “testimony”. The House of Representatives will then vote to see if the bill will continue through the process. If enough votes are in favor of the bill, it is sent to the House Rules Committee, where there are set rules for the debate and amendment by the House. After this, it is passed on to the Senate, where they edit the bill, then approve or reject it. If the bill is approved, the Senate's version on the bill will be compared to the original bill, made by the House. The Senate and House will compromise the bill till there is an agreement, then the bill is sent to the President. The President will either veto it, preventing the bill to become a law, or sign the bill to make it a law. If the President does not sign or veto the bill, after ten days (not including Sundays), the bill will become a law.

5. Give an example not in the lecture of a power the federal government lacks. Federal Government can not issue licenses, such as hunting and drivers licenses.

6. What is "textualism", and do you think that "legislative history" should be considered when interpreting the meaning of a law? Explain.

7. Explain a difference between the political system in the United States and the one in England. England does not have a “checks and balance” system, unlike the United States.

8. Which political party do you expect to win control of the U.S. Senate on Election Day this year, and why? I believe that the Republican Party will win control of the Senate this year because only in this year, gasoline prices have risen drastically. Because taxes and financial business is dealt with by the Senate, it is easy to see that a different party in the Senate would make a difference in these rising gas prices.

Extra credit (answer two of the following four questions): 10. The constitutionality of "ObamaCare" was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2012 based on which clause(s) of Article I of the Constitution? Discuss. “ObamaCare” was upheld based on in Article I, Section 7, Clause 2 of the Constitution. It explains how the President should deal with bills, such as how to veto and sign the bill.

12. Which political party controls the House of Representatives today, and by what margin (approximation is fine)? E.g., is it controlled by Democrats by a 235-200 margin? What do you think the margin will be in January 2013?

The Democratic Party has control over the House of Representatives today.