Just 4 Kids
Hi, and welcome to Just 4 Kids! This page is full of fun and exciting adventures just waiting to be discovered. You'll see wonderful places in Washington, DC, visit amazing and interesting sites provided by the Office of the Clerk, as well as test your knowledge on our federal government. All you need is your computer and your imagination. Have fun!
Meet the Clerk - Learn about the official duties of the Clerk and the history of the office, and read the biographies of the Clerk and the Deputy Clerk.
 Learn About Congress - Get answers to frequently asked questions about House Members, House committees, and House Leadership offices.
 How Laws Are Made - Get to the root of the legislative process! Learn how a bill becomes a law, how to read official congressional records, and how to research legislation.
 Time Traveler - Go on an adventure through time as you discover important people, events, and works of art that have played a role in the history of the House of Representatives.
 Field Trip - Learn about the U.S. government the fun way! Go on a virtual field trip to Capitol Hill, the House Chamber and Statuary Hall.
 Fun & Games - Fun facts, activities, and puzzles to test your skill and tease your brain!
 Parents & Teachers - We have a section just for you, with lesson plans and educational resources to use in conjunction with this site.
 Glossary - Key words for each section of the site are listed in the feature boxes to the right. Go to the glossary to search for a vocabulary word or view the full list of glossary terms and their definitions.
Did You Know...
...that the Constitution was not the first document that organized the United States Government? Shortly after the end of the American Revolution, the 13 new states held a session of the Continental Congress. They drafted a document to bond the states into a loose union. The resulting document, the Articles of Confederation, was ratified by all 13 states by 1781.
Unlike our Constitution, the Articles of Confederation made the central government extremely weak. It could not raise revenue, regulate commerce, or enforce treaties. Recognizing the weaknesses of the Articles, the effort to draft a new document began in September, 1786. On May 25, 1787, Delegates from every state except Rhode Island met for the Federal Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Over the next four months, they debated what the structure of our government should be. On September 17, 1787, the Delegates signed the Constitution of the United States which provides the basis for our government today.
Did You Know...
...why there are 435 Representatives and 100 Senators in Congress? When the Delegates debated the Constitution, they decided that they wanted Congress to consist of 2 houses -- The Senate and The House of Representatives. The Senate was designed to provide equal representation to each state as a whole, thus it is made up of 2 Senators for every state regardless of its size. Under the Constitution, Senators serve 6 year terms, and a third of the Senate is elected every 2 years. Because we have 50 states, there are 100 Senators in the Senate.
The Delegates wanted The House of Representatives to directly represent the people. The Constitution, therefore, bases its membership on population with a minimum of 1 Representative per state each serving a 2 year term. While the Constitution sets the minimum Congressional District at 30,000 people per Representative, it does not mandate a maximum. Current law sets the number of Representatives at 435 plus 1 non-voting Delegate each for the District of Colombia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa and 1 non-voting Resident Commissioner for Puerto Rico. The Congressional Districts are apportioned equally after each 10 year census. The average size of a Congressional District today is 570,000 people. All Representatives must be elected every 2 years.
Did You Know...
...that most cases are only argued before the Supreme Court for 1 hour? The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and is established by Article III of the Constitution. Currently, there are 9 Justices (8 Associate Justices & 1 Chief Justice). The job of the Supreme Court is to decide whether or not laws passed by Congress or state or local governments go against the Constitution.
Except in rare instances, cases that reach the Supreme Court are appealed from lower courts. The Justices review all the testimony, evidence, and rulings from these lower courts and are well versed in the facts of the case before they hear oral arguments. Each side has 30 minutes to present their argument and answer questions from the Justices.
Once the arguments are heard, the Justices go to their chambers and take a vote on how the case should be decided. After the vote, the Chief Justice names a Justice to write the Court's "Opinion" (the reasons for their decision) and another justice to write the "Dissention" (the reasoning of the Justices not in the majority on the vote). The Court's decision and their reasons are released to the public several months after the case is heard.
Did You Know...
...that there are 2 ways to amend the Constitution, and the President is not involved in either process? Article V of the Constitution outlines the procedures for amending the Constitution. The first way is for Congress to propose specific amendments. These proposals must pass each house of Congress by a two-thirds vote (67 Senators and 290 Representatives). Once Congress passes an amendment, three-fourths of the states (38) must ratify it.
The other method of amending the Constitution rests in the hands of the state legislatures. A Constitutional Convention can be called by agreement of two-thirds (34) of the state legislatures (and only by two-thirds of the state legislatures). All amendments proposed in the Constitutional Convention must also be ratified by three-fourths of the states. Once ratified by the states, an amendment becomes part of the Constitution. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution make up the Bill of Rights.
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