Question

1. what are the three main jobs of congress?
2. why do members of congress think about their constituents when deciding how to vote?
3. if someone has trouble getting a passport, how could their congress member help them?

congress is bicameral. this means that it is made up of two houses. the two houses are the house of representatives and the senate. also called the lower house of congress, the house of representatives has 435 members. members of this house are called representatives because they speak for the people. every state has at least one representative in the house of representatives.
the number of representatives a state has depends on how many people live in the state. states with larger populations have many representatives. states with smaller populations have fewer representatives. for example, texas has a large population, so it has 32 representatives. wyomings population is small, so it has only one representative.
every ten years, a census is taken. during the census, the people in each state are counted. the seats in the house of representatives are based on the census. states whose populations have grown might get more representatives. states whose populations have become smaller might lose representatives.
each state is divided into congressional districts based on its number of representatives. for example, if a state has five representatives, it is broken into five congressional districts. these districts are divided so that there are about the same number of people living in each district.
people in each congressional district elect their representative. once elected, members of the house of representatives serve for two years.
a person must meet certain requirements to be a member of the house of representatives. every member must be at least 25 years old. he or she must have been a u.s. citizen for at least seven years. each member must live in the state that he or she represents.
the speaker of the house if the leader of the house of representatives. this person is always the leader of the majority party. the majority party is the political party with the larger number of representatives. the other party is called the minority party. for example, if more democrats than republicans were in the house of representatives, then the majority party would be the democrats.
the speaker would also be a democrat. the speaker of the house runs the meetings and has a lot of power. after the vice president, the speaker is the next person in line to be president if the president is unable to serve.
congress has two parts. these parts are called houses. the two houses are the house of representatives and the senate. the house of representatives is also called the lower house of congress. it has 435 members. the members are called representatives because they work for the people. every state has at least one representative in the house of representatives.
the number of representatives a state has depends on how many people live in the state. states with lots of people get many representatives. states with fewer people get fewer representatives. for example, texas has a lot of people, so it has 32 representatives. wyoming has fewer people, so it has only one representative.
every ten years, the government counts how many people live in each state. this count is called a census. the census helps decide how many representatives each state gets. states with more people might get more representatives. states with fewer people might lose representatives.
each state is divided into parts called congressional districts. the number of districts is the same as the number of representatives. for example, if a state has five representatives, it has five districts. each district has about the same number of people.
the people in each district vote to choose their representative. representatives work for two years after they are elected.
a person must follow certain rules to be in the house of representatives. every member must be at least 25 years old. they must have been a u.s. citizen for at least seven years. they also must live in the state they speak for.
the speaker of the house is the leader of the house of representatives. this person is always from the political group with the most members. this group is called the majority party. the group with fewer members is called the minority party. for example, if there are more democrats than republicans in the house, the majority party would be the democrats.
the speaker of the house is in charge of meetings and has a lot of power. if something happens and the president cannot do their job, and the vice president cannot either, the speaker becomes the president.

1. why is congress called bicameral?
2. why do states with larger populations have more representatives?

Explanation:

1. Congress's main jobs include making laws, representing constituents, and overseeing the executive branch.
2. Members of Congress consider constituents to stay elected (constituents vote for them).
3. A Congress member can help with a passport issue by contacting relevant government agencies (like the State Department) on behalf of the constituent.
4. Congress is called bicameral because it has two houses (the House of Representatives and the Senate).
5. States with larger populations have more representatives to ensure proportional representation (more people = more voices in Congress).

Answer:

1. Making laws, representing constituents, overseeing the executive branch.
2. Because constituents vote for them (to stay elected).
3. By contacting relevant government agencies (e.g., the State Department) on the constituent's behalf.
4. Because it has two houses (the House of Representatives and the Senate).
5. To ensure proportional representation (more people = more voices in Congress).