Article 1, Section 1
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Vested in a Congress
To be vested is to be clothed closely with a garment (called a vest!). It refers to something that has been given to someone or something to accomplish a particular purpose.
Legislative power is granted to elected citizens for a limited time. They wear this power like a vest during their term.
A congress is simply a meeting of delegates to come to a common decision regarding something.
Citizens were to be chosen by other citizens to see that beneficial laws are made and agreed to by a majority in a meeting called a congress.
The word for “congress” is often translated “council” in the Bible.
It was the intention of the writers of the Constitution that government would be kept simple, but with several different entities, to ensure a balance of power. The more people you have in a group, the harder it is for them to agree on any given topic. This would keep the number of laws to a minimum. Only those that are very necessary would pass.
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