The U.S. Government Publishing Office Bookstore offers the following best-selling classics about the American government.
The Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence (Pocket Edition). This official publication contains two core American democracy documents– the Constitution of the United States of America and the Declaration of Independence. It outlines the framework of the entire lawmaking process.
How a Bill Becomes a Law (Poster). This poster outlines the many steps in our Federal law-making process from the introduction of a bill—an excellent resource for a brick-and-mortar classroom or home school.
Here’s a breakdown of how a bill becomes a law and how the Constitution plays a role:
The Journey of a Bill:
- Introduction: A member of Congress (Senate or House of Representatives) introduces a bill, proposing a new law or changes to an existing one.
- Committee Action: The bill is assigned to a relevant committee for research, discussion, and possible revisions. The committee may hold hearings to gather public input.
- Floor Vote: If the committee approves the bill, it goes before the entire chamber (House or Senate) for debate and a vote.
- Second Chamber: If the bill passes one chamber, it goes through the same process in the other chamber. There may be revisions to reconcile differences between the two versions.
- Reaching the President: Once both chambers approve an identical version of the bill, it’s sent to the President.
- Presidential Action: The President has three choices:
- Sign the bill: The bill becomes law.
- Veto the bill: The bill is sent back to Congress with reasons for disapproval. Congress can try to override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
- Pocket Veto (inaction): If the President doesn’t sign the bill within 10 days while Congress is in session, it dies. (This doesn’t apply if Congress adjourns before the 10 days.)
- Law of the Land: If the President signs or Congress overrides a veto, the bill becomes law and is enforced.
The Constitution’s Role:
The Constitution establishes the legislative branch (Congress) with the power to “make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper” (Article I, Section 8). It also creates a system of checks and balances:
- Bicameralism: Having two chambers (House and Senate) ensures more deliberation before a bill becomes law.
- Presentation Clause: The President can influence legislation by signing or vetoing bills.
- Veto Override: Congress can check the President’s power by overriding a veto with a supermajority.
This process ensures that laws go through multiple stages of review and approval before becoming effective, reflecting the principles laid out in the Constitution.
The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications
HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?
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Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.
- Click here to purchase The Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence (Pocket Edition)
- Click here to purchase How A Bill Becomes A Law (Poster)
Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800. Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov
Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.
Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.
About the author: Blogger Trudy Hawkins is the Senior Marketing & Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Office supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (https://bookstore.gpo.gov).
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Trudy Hawkins
Government Book Talk 