Tutor profile: Vinny R.

How does one avoid plagiarism?

Never try to pass off the work or ideas of another as your own. Always give proper credit and cite your sources. Use quotation marks to distinguish the source's work from your own, or paraphrase when appropriate. Be sure to incorporate proper in-text citations as well as a works cited page at the end, depending on style called for in the paper (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc...). Always proofread your own paper and make sure it is in your own words. Use online plagiarism checkers if you are nervous about accidentally plagiarizing or just want to be sure there are no mistakes or holes in your citation process. As always, I am happy to look over your paper with you and help however I can!

What are some main differences between the US House of Representatives and the US Senate?

Together, the House of Representatives and the Senate make up the two bodies of the United States Congress or legislative branch of the federal government. The House currently has 435 voting members while the Senate has 100, or two for each state. The Vice President serves as the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. The House is seen as the lower chamber and members serve two-year terms. Senators are up for re-election every 6 years. To serve in the House, one must be 25, where senators must be at least 30. Senators vote to confirm judicial nominations including to the Supreme Court. They also can vote to convict or acquit during impeachment proceedings. Representatives can bring the articles of impeachment and pass budgets and other bills along to the Senate. These are only some of the functions of the legislative branch, and I would love to explore them further with you!

What was the Louisiana Purchase and why was it significant?

President Jefferson and the United States government bought what was then known as the Louisiana Territory from the French in 1803. They paid $15 million to add nearly 830,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River. This plot stretched from the Gulf of Mexico all the way to the present-day Canadian border. This historic agreement almost doubled the size of the U.S. Source: https://www.monticello.org/thomas-jefferson/louisiana-lewis-clark/the-louisiana-purchase/