Civics 101 in 120 Seconds (ish) – The Floor: What is Decorum? (3min)
Civics 101 in 120 Seconds (ish) is your straightforward guide through the often confounding legislative process.
What is the Floor? Floor of Senate or House
The chamber and everybody in it at the same time
All 49 in the Senate and 98 members in the House – That’s what the Floor is
All sorts of rules, decorum to process. What is decorum?
Rules on how members treat each other
Speak to ideas not people, policies not personalities
Meant to depersonalize conflict – Don’t want people attacking each other – fun to watch but it’s a bad thing
Decorum also speeds up the process by avoiding distractions
Not allowed to use each other’s names but rather, ‘Gentle Lady from the 26th district’ etc.
Don’t want it to get personal
No impugning motives
Teach with TVW is a free online resource provided by TVW for Washington state social studies teachers to engage their students in state government and help to inspire active citizens.
Learn more at: https://www.teachwithtvw.org
