4. explain or illustrate the process—finish filling in the steps your idea would have to go through to become a law at the federal and state levels of government. 1. you write your state or federal senator about your idea. 2. 3. 4. 5. the bill goes to the house for action. 6. 7.

1. You write your state or federal senator about your idea.

2. Your congressman sponsors a bill.

3. The bill is sent to a Committee for its study.

4. If committee approves of the relevance and usefulness of the bill it is put on a schedule that will define the date when it will be debated, amended if necessary and/or voted.

5. The bill goes to the House for action.

6. If the bill is approved by the vote (simple majority) it is sent to the senate.

7. The bill goes through a similar process in the Senate and may be sent back to the House of Representatives if it has been changed. Then it is voted again by both chambers and sent to the president who will either veto it or sign it into law within ten days.

Both the Senate and the House have to agree on the final version of the bill and it is not uncommon for a bill to go back and forth between both chambers several times.

powers  are  denied  to the  national governmentin three distinct ways: some  powers, such as the  power  to levy duties on exports or prohibit the freedom of religion, speech, press, or assembly, are expressly  denied  to the  national government  in the  constitution.