Complete each of the following:

1. Two qualifications of Senators are:

a--

b.

2. Two qualifications of Congressmen are:

3. One power that the House of Representatives does not share with the Senate is:

4. Two powers that the Senate does not share with the House are:

a_

b.

CHAPTER XII

What Laws the Congress May Make and How They Are Made

The very meaning of a free government is "in considering offices as public trusts, bestowed [given] for the good of the country, and not for the benefit of an individual or a party."

-John C. Calhoun.

We remember that the Fathers of the Constitution delegated certain authority to the National Government. They listed the special kinds of authority which may be used by it. Much of this authority is, by the Constitution, delegated to the Congress. In the chapter before this one we explained how both Houses of the Congress are set up.

The Constitution lists the powers of the Congress. It also says that the Congress shall not do certain things. We shall now study the kind of laws which the Congress may make and how they are made.

THE AUTHORITY OF THE CONGRESS OVER MONEY AND TRADE

The Congress has several financial powers. Experience had proved that the Congress did not have enough of this kind of authority under the Articles of Confederation. The Congress is given power to coin money and to say what it shall be worth. A person is not free to coin his own money because the people delegated the power to the Congress.

Under its financial powers, the Congress organized and controls different systems of banks. It may ask the banks or the people to lend money to the Government. It may pass tax laws and force the people to pay their taxes. No money can be paid out by the National Government except as the Congress, by law, orders it to be done.

The Congress has important authority over tradecalled commerce-among States and with foreign countries. v It controls the railroad, ship, gas, electric, and pipe lines that cross State lines.

The commerce power of the Congress is listed but not defined by the Constitution. Thus, the Congress can control the new ways by which trade among the States is carried on. The authority of the Congress is not limited to the ways of trade that were known in 1789. For example, the Congress now controls the telephone, radio, and television companies.

AUTHORITY OF THE CONGRESS OVER NATIONAL DEFENSE

The Congress has authority to make the country safe from any enemy. It has authority to raise and support an Army, Navy, and Air Force. It can declare war.

Most of the States keep trained men who are not in the regular Army for use in time of great need. The trained men are called the Militia. The Congress helps the States to organize the Militia and to arm them. But the Congress can call out any or all of the Militia of the√ States to help the President carry out the laws of the United States.

The Congress determines the size of the Army, the Navy, ✅ and the Air Force. It makes rules to govern them. It gives them money to spend but for only two years at a time. Y This is to keep them from becoming too strong.

AUTHORITY OF THE CONGRESS TO MAKE LAWS THAT SHOULD BE THE SAME IN ALL STATES

The Congress has authority over other matters on which the laws should be the same for all the people of the United States. It says how persons born outside the United States may become citizens. The Congress sets up post offices. It controls the carrying of the mail. It makes laws that tell how a person with large debts which

TERM OF OFFICE

The Senators are elected for a term of six years. Onethird of the Senators are elected every two years. At least two-thirds of the Senators always have had experience in the Senate. The Senate, therefore, is in a better position than the House to know the history of the laws. It is more likely to know why certain bills were not passed by the Congress.

The Members of the House are elected for a term of two years. The term of every Congressman ends on the same day. If a Member wishes to return to the House for another two years, he must be elected again. Many Congressmen have been so well liked by their people that they have been elected time and time again.

The Congressmen always have been elected by the people. They are generally elected from districts within the States. Since a Congressman represents a smaller number of people than a Senator, he usually knows the people of his district and their needs better than the Senator. For these reasons it is said that the House of Representatives is closer to the people than the Senate.

WHEN AND WHERE THE CONGRESS MEETS

All of the Congressmen and one-third of the Senators are elected every two years. Thus the life of a Congress is two years. The Twentieth Amendment says that the Congress shall meet for its regular session at noon on January 3 of each year. But the Congress by law may fix a different day.

A meeting of the Congress is called a "session." The word "session" means the length of time the Congress meets for the purpose of making laws. "Regular" means only that the Constitution commands the meeting of the Congress.

The Congress meets in the Capitol in Washington, District of Columbia. There is a large room in the Capitol in which the House meets. There is another large room for the Senate. There is also a small room for the use of