2302+M2+Week+2

Week Two
 * GOVT 2302

The History and Design of the Legislature**

This week we begin to look in depth at the legislative branch. This is the branch responsible for representing the policy preferences of the general population, passing bills into law, and overseeing the actions of the other two branches.The readings below touch on the factors which led to the specific design of the U.S. legislative branch. This involves a look at British history, specifically the factors which allowed the parliament to successfully claim that its laws applied to everyone in Britan, including the king. We will also look at the specifics design of the legislative branch on the national and state levels.


 * Readings:**


 * British History: [|The Glorious Revolution]
 * Grievances related to legislative independence in the [|Declaration of Independence.](To be posted below)
 * Wikipedia: [|The Philadelphia Convention.]
 * [|Article I of the U.S. Constitution]
 * [|Wikipedia: U.S. House of Representatives]
 * [|WIkipedia: U.S. Senate]
 * [|Article 3 of the Texas Constitution]
 * [|Texas Handbook: The Texas Legislature].


 * Assignments:**

Write at least 200 words on each of the following topics

1 - Read the article on the Glorious Revolution and the grievances related to the legislative independence in the Declaration of Independence. Both relate to disputes concerning the proper relationship between the legislative and executive branches. The Glorious Revolution is the period in British history when the parliament was able to assert authority over the monarchy. The precise nature of this authority is outlined in the Declaration of Right. Read it and compare it to the grievances in the Declaration of Independence. Describe those similarities and discuss what the relative status of the legislature and executive ough to be.

2 - The Legislature designed in Article 1 of the Constitution is the result of the Conneticutt Compromise. What conflict did this compromise attempt to reconcile? How did it do so? Outline the content of Article 1.

3 - As fully as you can, outline the differences between the House of Representative and the Senate.

4 - As fully as you can, detail what makes the Texas Legislature different than the U.S. Congress.

Email your answers to me at kjefferies@alvincollege.edu. Use Microsoft Word, or paste the answers into the email.**
 * Due Date: March 29.