Origination Clause facts for kids

The Origination Clause, also known as the Revenue Clause, is an important rule in the U.S. Constitution. It's found in Article I, Section 7, Clause 1. This rule says that any bill (a proposed law) that is meant to raise money for the government must start in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, the U.S. Senate can suggest changes or agree to these bills, just like with other laws.

Why Money Bills Start in the House

The idea behind the Origination Clause comes from an old British tradition. In Britain, laws about money had to begin in the House of Commons. This was because the House of Commons was seen as the part of government closest to the ordinary people. The goal was to make sure that the power to control government money, often called the "power of the purse," was held by the people's elected representatives.

When the United States was forming its government, they used a similar idea. They wanted the part of Congress that was directly elected by the most people to have the first say on how the government collects money. This helps keep the government accountable to the citizens.

A Compromise for Fair Representation

The Origination Clause was a key part of a big agreement called the Great Compromise. This compromise helped settle a disagreement between states with large populations and states with smaller populations.

Larger states felt it wasn't fair that smaller states had the same number of votes in the Senate. The Senate gives each state two senators, no matter how many people live there. To balance this, the Origination Clause was created. It gave the House of Representatives, where states get votes based on their population, special power over money bills. This helped make the larger states feel that their bigger populations had a stronger voice in how the government collected its funds.

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  Justice Joseph Story was an important Supreme Court Justice in the early 1800s.