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Legislative Branch: Exercise 1 - Structure and functions of Congress


Instructions: Read the passage and click on the correct answer. If wrong, try again. Scroll down if you do not see the Answer box.
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Secondary Functions of Congress

      In addition to its primary responsibilities, Congress performs other functions. These secondary functions include impeachment, appointments, and disciplining and expelling members.
  • Impeachment: Congress has the power to remove the president, vice-president, federal judges and other civil officials from their government positions for wrongdoing. This happens through the impeachment process. The impeachment process is a two-step process. First the House of Representatives must impeach (formally charge or accuse) an official. If the charge is supported by a majority in the House of Representatives, it goes to trial in the Senate. This is the second stage of the impeachment process. The Senate then decides whether to acquit (find not guilty), or remove the impeached official from office.
  • Appointments: The Senate must approve by a majority vote the people the president appoints for cabinet department heads, foreign ambassadors, and Supreme Court judges by a majority vote.
  • Disciplining and expelling members: The House and the Senate have the authority to censure (express strong disapproval), fine and expel members of Congress for illegal behaviors. The Senate and House of Representatives also have the power to keep a newly elected member from taking his seat in Congress if the individual does not meet the constitutional requirements of citizenship, residency in the state he will represent, and age (25 for representatives and 30 for senators).
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