Mock Congress: Day 1 – How a Bill Becomes a Law Chapter 15 - Government for and by the People.

Mock Congress: Day 1 – How a Bill Becomes a Law

Chapter 15 - Government for and by the People

Today we will learn…• History Objective –

We will simulate anelection by voting forclass political partiesand officers for ourMock Congress.

• Behavior Objective – Courtesy and Respect: Although politics can be very rude, we will be respectful of each other and all the candidates.

• Language Objective - We will listen as the candidates present their positions, and vote on the best people for these positions.

Campaign Poster (10 min.)• Create a name for your party

(one word, simple, easy to say and remember).

• Choose a mascot (animal symbol) that represents your strengths.

• Make a poster explaining why others should vote for your candidate.– Candidates for governor should use

this time to write a short speech explaining why their party should be elected to office.

Speeches (3-5 min.)• Each candidate for governor

will give a one minute speech to convince the rest of the students to vote for them and their political party.

• Then the class will vote for officers.

• The winners will be announced tomorrow.– Note: All students will have a job to do in the Mock

Congress whether they are elected or not.

Bell Activity

Take out a piece of paper and your yellow-orange paper from yesterday.

Brainstorm ideas for bills for the Mock Legislature. These ideas should make class better, easier, fix problems or help people. List as many ideas as you can think of.

You can choose your seat today as long as you don’t cause problems for anyone else, including yourself!!

Where should your backpack be?

Please throw your gum in the garbage before class begins.

Mock Congress: Day 2 - Writing bills and how they

become laws.


Bell ActivityPick up the yellow paper.Your word is “bill” (hint: NOT something

your parents pay OR part of a duck!)Find the word on your blue study guide and

complete the following information for the word.Find the definition using a glossary.Use your own knowledge and experience to

complete the rest of the definition.Where should your backpack be?

No gum in class. Throw it in the garbage before class begins!

Word: bill My Understanding: 4 3 2 1

Definition: Draw a picture of it:

Sentence:

Synonym/Example:

Antonym/Non-Example:

Does your work looksomething like this?

Word: bill My Understanding: 4 3 2 1

Definition: a written proposal for a law

Draw a picture of it:

Sentence: The senator proposed a bill

would make it illegal to text while

driving.

Synonym/Example: proposed law

Antonym/Non-Example: law



We will be able to describe how a bill becomes a law, and begin to construct our own laws.

• Behavior Objective – Work Ethic: We will stay on task during the presentation and the bill writing.

• Language Objective - We will listen to how a bill becomes a law, how it needs to be written, and then we will write our own bill for the Mock Congress.

Welcome to Congress• Over the rest of the

week the MLMS Mock Congress will be in session.

• Our next job is to understand how to a bill becomes a law.

Creating a New Law• Part of the job of the

legislative branch is to create laws that benefit the people they represent.

• The other branches of government also have a role to play.

The Bill Begins• Laws begin as ideas. The

ideas may come from legislators or citizens.

• Citizens with ideas for laws should write a letter to their Representatives.

• If the Representatives agree that the idea should become a law, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

The Bill is Proposed• A citizen proposing a bill needs to find

a sponsor in the House of Representatives or the Senate who wants to propose their bill.– The Representative talks with other

Representatives about the bill in hopes of getting their support for it.

• When a Representative has written a bill, the bill needs support. – Representatives usually sponsor bills

that are important to their constituents (people who live in their district).

• Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

The Bill's Introduction• A bill can be introduced

whenever Congress is in session. – Bills are officially introduced in

the House of Reps once put in the hopper, a special box that holds the bills that are waiting to be introduced.

– In the Senate, a bill is introduced by placing it on the presiding officer's desk or it can also be formally introduced on the Senate Floor.

The Bill's Introduction• In the house, there is a bill

clerk who assigns numbers to the bills. – House bills begin with "H.R.",

Resolutions begin with "H. Res.," "H. Con. Res.," or "H. J. Res," depending what type they are, and Senate bills being with "S".

• Then the bill is first read on the floor, and is then referred to a committee where it is marked up (revised or changed).

The Bill's Committee• When the bill reaches committee, the

committee members—groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations—review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send the bill back to the House floor.– The bill is then debated on and then

edited, or "marked up" where changes could be made to the bill, or not made to the bill.

• If they don’t like the bill or think it is a good idea, the bill may not pass the committee. – The bill is then said to have “died”.

The Bill is Reported• When the committee has approved a bill, it is

sent—or reported—to the House floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the House of Representatives.

The Bill is Considered or Debated by the House

• When a bill is debated. The Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it.

• Then, a reading clerk can read the bill section by section and the Representatives can recommend changes.

• When all changes have been made and debate has wrapped up, the bill is ready to be voted on.

The Bill is Voted On• There are three methods for voting on a bill in the House of

Representatives:– Viva Voce (voice vote): The Speaker of the House asks the

Representatives who support the bill to say “yes” and those that oppose it say “no”.

– Division: The Speaker of the House asks those Representatives who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to stand up and be counted.

– Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system. Representatives can vote yes, no, or present (if they don’t want to vote on the bill).

• If a majority of the Representatives say or select yes, the bill passes in the House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.

The Bill is Referred to the Senate

• The Senate must also approve of the bill once the House has passed the bill in order to become a law. – The two houses of Congress make up the bicameral

legislature, part of a system of checks and balances that ensures that the laws are created democratically.

• Discuss some of the reasons why having the bill examined by both houses of Congress is a good thing.

The Bill is Referred to the Senate

• When a bill reaches the Senate, it goes through many of the same steps it went through in the House of Representatives. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be voted on.

• Senators vote by voice. Those who support the bill say yea, and those who oppose it say nay. If a majority of the Senators say yea, the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to go to the Governor.

The Bill is Sent to the Governor

• Once both Senate and House agree on the bill it is sent to the Governor in order for it to be signed (this process is calling being enrolled).

• The Governor can take one of several possible actions:– The Governor may sign the bill, and the bill becomes law.– The Governor can make no action.

• If Congress is in session, the bill then automatically becomes law after a ten day period.

• If Congress in not in session, the bill dies or is given a pocket veto.

– The Governor may decide that the bill is unwise or unnecessary and veto the bill.

If The Bill is Vetoed• If the Governor does not agree with

the bill or thinks it is unwise or unnecessary then the Governor does not have to sign the law, but makes an announcement of an official veto.– The house where the bill was originally

brought up is given the bill back where objections to the veto are announced and discussed on the house floor.

– With enough objections the House may then vote on a "veto override", however if not then the bill is "stalled"and does not become a law.

The Veto is Overridden• If enough Members do not

agree with the veto then they vote to override it. – More than two-thirds majority

of a vote from both houses is needed to overturn the veto, if this process happens then the bill becomes a law.

– If two-thirds of thevote is not reached then the bill then dies, and does not become a law.

The Bill Is a Law• If a bill has passed in both the House of

Representatives and the Senate and has been approved by the Governor, or if a veto has been overridden, the bill becomes a law and is enforced by the government.

GOVERNOR

Judicial Review• If people (representatives,

citizens, etc.) think that the bill is wrong in some way, it can be challenged through the judicial branch of the government.– It would be part of a law suit

that could make its way through the court system.

– Then it can be heard by the Supreme Court of a state or by the federal Supreme Court, who determine if a law in constitutional or unconstitional.

Mock Congress: Day 1 – Elections & Bill Writing


Bell ActivityGet out your paper from yesterday. If you finish your vocabulary early, work on your study guide.

You should be able to answer questions 1-9, 12-29

Your word is “legislature”Find the word on your blue study guide and complete

the following information for the word.Find the definition using a glossary.Use your own knowledge and experience to complete

the rest of the definition.Where should your backpack be?

No gum in class. Throw it in the garbage before class begins!

Word: legislature My Understanding: 4 3 2 1

Definition: Draw a picture of it:

Sentence:

Synonym/Example: Antonym/Non-Example:


Word: legislature My Understanding: 4 3 2 1

Definition: an elected body having Draw a picture of it:

authority to make laws

Sentence: The legislature passed many

new laws during its 2011 session.

Synonym/Example: Senate, House of

Representative

Antonym/Non-Example: military tribunal



We will be able to describe how a bill becomes a law, and begin to construct our own laws.

• Behavior Objective – Work Ethic: We will stay on task during the presentation and the bill writing.

• Language Objective - We will listen to how a bill becomes a law, how it needs to be written, and then we will write our own bill for the Mock Congress.

Law Writing 101• Now we will attempt to write our own

bills for the mock congress.

• Look at this sample bill…

Primary - BallotParty

Governor Leads the class government

Att. General Expert on school/class rules

Senators

House of Reps.

Nominating:1 governor 1 Senator for every 3 House of Representatives1 attorney general

Ballot – 1st HourParty

Governor Emily P. Alec Damian MoeHaMet

Att. General Natasha Austin Jaden Ivan

Senators Taylor E. SokhanaGisselleEmely V.

Noha IanFarishCierra

Myo

House of Reps.

MyaCaroleePaigeEvelyn

NathanDarwin

FernandoGarretMiguel

Taylor J.

Voting:1 governor 4 for the Senate1 attorney general 8 for the House

Ballot – 2nd HourParty

Governor Amelia Alli

Att. General Sydnie Austin

Senators Jayden DEmilyAnnMyckenzi

DakotaAnthonyEhSayAaron

House of Reps. MolliTanyaAlysonXiandraKaitlynSkyler

ColeDannyAbel

BrandonGarretIvan

KyahSu

Voting:1 governor

1 attorney general

4 for the Senate

8 for the House

Ballot – 5th HourParty

Governor Madison Dylan J Connor

Att. General Haily Kevin Dillan D

Senators RachelMichaela

LearicSavannah

EthanJonathan

TreyStuart

House of Reps. TaylorTaleighaRheAnnNicoleJaileen

Zoe

KadenHugoAlex

JovaniCasey

CodyBraydinJayden



Governor Dallin Kayla Cheyenne

Att. General Salvador Madi Charlize

Senators Angel CApril Will

Bryce LexiAshleeSharon

House of Reps. Angel PWyattEthan

KeisleyBrendenAdriana

JasonEmilieLiam

HectorEric

ElizabethZach

MalorieLydia

CharlieVoting:1 governor 4 for the Senate1 attorney general 8 for the House


Governor Noah Makenna

Att. General Kadrian Emily

Senators ChrisIzzy

BraelinDylan

LucyJulietteGenesis

House of Reps. NickDevanTrinityKyle

KoltonJoseAngelAdrian

JosieMaddie

RebeccaAmairany

LesleyJake

Voting for:1 governor

1 attorney general

4 for the Senate

8 for the House


Governor Ana Jaxon Logan Allyssa

Att. General Kyran Aiden Dmitry Mckenzie

Senators MalonaDennaey

Bennett Wyatt Summer

House of Reps.

AndreaLaishaAndrewJared

ChazPierce

MelissaJordan

ArShayTaelor

Elizabeth


Mock Congress: Day 3 – The Simulation



We will learn about the legislative processby simulating how thelegislature passes lawsin our Mock Congress.

• Behavior Objective – Courtesy and Respect: Follow the rules of the simulations. Remember you can’t talk unless given permission by the Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate.

• Language Objective – We will discuss the bills that are proposed, debate what is good and bad about them, and try to only pass well thought-out laws.

Welcome to the Legislature!• There is a lot to know about the rules of

lawmaking before we begin the simulation.

• Everyone needs to read the instructions for their office. Let’s take three minutes to silently read about our different jobs.

Welcome to the Legislature!• First, for those not in the Senate or the

House, you need to find a sponsor in one of those two groups. Have them sign the correct line of your bill then leave the bill with them.

Welcome to the Legislature!• Now, we need to turn in our bills to the

Clerks. If you are in the House, give your bill(s) to the Clerk in the House. If you are in the Senate, give your bill(s) to the Senate Clerk.

• Listen as we go through a sample bill and figure out

Mock Congress: Day 4 – The Simulation


Bell Activity• This is the last day we will be working in the

Legislature. Any laws not passed by the end of the hour will ‘die’. Put away any folders, books, or papers. You won’t need them.

• Secretaries, Governor, and Attorney General must pick up their ‘docket’ from the box for your hour. Secretaries need to write the docket on the board!

• Review the rules on the tables until the bell rings.• Be ready to start as soon as the bell rings.

The Legislative Process• Your class will get points for passing good laws, but will

lose them for bad laws.

• Remember all the steps for passing a law.– Read the bill – Research the bill – Are there any parts that violate school rules? You

can ask for the Attorney Gen for advice.– Debate the bill – Talk about all the good and bad in the bill– Amend the bill (if necessary) – Make changes to improve the law.

Remember that amendments have to be voted on!!– Take a final Vote – More than 50% is needed to pass. Don’t vote for

bills you don’t like!

Only people who have permission from the Speaker or the President can speak! You lose points for breaking the rule!

Mock Congress: Day 1 – How a Bill Becomes a Law Chapter 15 - Government for and by the People.

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Transcript of Mock Congress: Day 1 – How a Bill Becomes a Law Chapter 15 - Government for and by the People.