Speaker of the House

Definition

The presiding officer in the House of Representatives, formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party. The Speaker is third in line to be president of the United States and is the most powerful lawmaker on Capitol Hill. Speaker of the House is the leader of the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives. Here's a list of all 62 of the Speakers of the House since forever. Because they have to power to recognize members who rise to speak, reorganize House committees, name committee chairs, and appoint allies to leadership posts, the Speaker of the House has enormous power and bragging rights at any House party.

Example

 
 

Questions

  1. What does the Speaker of the House do?

  2. How is the Speaker picked?

  3. Who is the current Speaker of the House?

  4. According to the Constitution, what is the age requirement for the Speaker of the House?

  5. Use Speaker of the House in a sentence that doesn’t make you appear silly.

  6. Describe something the Speaker of the House has done recently:

  7. What makes the Speaker so powerful?

  8. What is the closest Senate equivalent to the House Speaker?

  9. Do you have a speaker in your house, and how loud is it?

  10. Do you think Paul Ryan is the hottest Speaker of the House ever?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to draw Speaker of the House. Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.


Further Review

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Congressional Whip

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Closed Rule