Questions & Answers

In the Category: Congress and Representation

#LEG39 But if even the Congress itself should enact a law which is contrary to the United States Constitution, must the people obey it? No.
#LEG40 Who is to determine whether any law is contrary to the Constitution or not, the people themselves? No; Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States may issue opinions regarding whether or not laws are constitutional.
#LEG41 Was this always a power of reviewing laws granted to the Supreme Court? Absolutely not. This power was gradually gained by the Judiciary through means which are themselves unconstitutional.
#LEG42 Do the members of the Congress of the United States all meet together in one assembly when they make the laws? No: they meet in two different assemblies, one of which is called the Senate, and the other is called the House of Representatives.
#LEG43 Who chooses the persons who shall be members of the House of Representatives? The people of all the states: because the laws of Congress concern all the states, and must be obeyed by all the people of the republic.
#LEG44 May all people vote to decide who shall represent them? No. Only citizens of the state who are eighteen years of age or older may vote.
#LEG45 Are there any other requirements of voting, besides citizenry and age? While certain protections were initially made in early America, today the only requirements are citizenship and age, and the ability to prove both through the means of authorized identification.
#LEG46 Are there any persons unfit to vote? There may be some, due to general ignorance or laziness, who should not vote. The law, however, allows people to vote so long as they are citizens who are of age.
#LEG47 How is the election conducted? On a publicly announced and scheduled day, the people who are to choose, called voters, meet at various authorized locations called the polls: here, officials are stationed called inspectors, who over...
#LEG48 Are the times, places and manner of holding these elections fixed by Congress? No: They have, thus far, been left to be regulated by each state for itself, but Congress may fix them if it deems appropriate.
#LEG49 Suppose a dispute should arise concerning an election, and one person shall declare that he has been fairly chosen, while another denies it, and insists that he himself has been chosen; who has the power to settle that dispute? A dispute between persons who claim a seat in the House of Representatives can be determined only by the House of Representatives; a dispute between persons claiming a seat in the Senate can be settle...
#LEG50 When a person is chosen to be a member of the House of Representatives, how long does he continue to hold that seat? For a term of two years.
#LEG51 When the two years have expired, may he be chosen again? Yes.
#LEG52 Suppose he dies before the end of his term? Another is chosen in his stead, for the remainder of that term. This process varies between state legislatures and also for the federal house.
#LEG53 How old must a person be before he can be chosen a Member of the House? Twenty-five years old.
#LEG54 May a person be chosen who has just come into the United States, and who is a subject of some other country (that means, who is bound to obey the laws of some other country)? No. Any person, to be chosen a Member of our House of Representatives, must either have been born in the United States, or must have been a naturalized citizen for seven years before he is eligible.
#LEG55 Naturalized? What does that mean? A person who was born in another country and comes to live in the United States, is not a citizen until he has lived among us a certain time; and then, has taken a solemn oath to obey the Constitution...
#LEG56 May the people of one State choose a person who is an inhabitant of another State to be a Member of the House of Representatives? No; he must be a citizen of the State where he is voting.
#LEG57 How many persons may be chosen by each State, as Members of the House of Representatives? The number of Representatives of any state is in proportion to the number of people in that State.
#LEG58 Are any people, based upon their ethnicity or any other factor, counted more or less than others when factoring their representation in Congress? No, all people are treated equally under the Law.
#LEG59 How is it known what number of people each State contains? Certain persons are appointed to count the people and compile a written list of them. Such a counting is called a census, and it takes place once every ten years.
#LEG60 When the members of the House of Representatives meet to make the laws, are they all equal or does anyone preside over them? They choose one of their own number, whose duty it is to preside over them while they are assembled to do business, and to see that they proceed in a regular and orderly manner in doing their public d...
#LEG61 Who chooses the members of the Senate of the United States? The members of the Senate are chosen by the people, just as are chosen the members of the House of Representatives.
#LEG62 Were members of the Senate always chosen this way? No. Members of the Senate were originally chosen by the Legislature of each state.
#LEG63 Was making the members of the Senate chosen by the people wise? No. Members of the Senate, known as Senators, were to represent the needs of the state as a whole, not of individuals directly. Making Senators elected in the same manner as Representatives defeated t...
#LEG64 How many Senators may there be? Two from each state.
#LEG65 When a citizen is chosen to be a Senator, how long is his term of duty? He shall serve for six years. If he dies before he finishes his duty or resigns his office, another shall be elected in his place.
#LEG66 Are all the Senators chosen at the same time, as are members of the House of Representatives? No. Only one third are chosen at a time in two year intervals, so that every two years one third of the number of the Senators see the expiration of their terms; but the same persons may again be chos...
#LEG67 How old must a person be before he can be nominated for a seat in the United States Senate? Thirty years old.
#LEG68 Can he be chosen if he has not been born in the United States? Yes, if he has been a naturalized citizen for at least nine years.

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