Shortcomings Of Congress

The states get their power from how many representatives they have, it depends on their population. Bigger states have more representatives because they have a bigger population. The bigger the state the more say and power you would have, because they have a larger population and smaller states have less say because they have a smaller population. The senate allows two senators per state, so that helps smaller states more, because even though they have a smaller population they still have the same amount of senators as bigger states. Each state gets two senators no matter what the population is. The U.S. constitution protects us against tyranny by using congressional

Summary The book How Congress Works, by Lee H. Hamilton, tells us a brief summary of the interworking’s of congress. The book begins to convey the role of congress in chapter one, the author begins with congresses important roles in our democracy. Which are passing budgets, manage conflicts that arise, debate issues facing the country and most importantly to act within the system of checks and balances. In our government neither congress nor president is supreme, most of the authority is with the citizens. The United States government is balanced into three branches of government: Congress, POTUS, SCOTUS, the House of Representatives and the Senate: also between the Federal Government and the States. The States are broken down into different regions with different issues facing them and different interests eventually boiling down to the bill of rights. Congress has the power of lawmaking, along with what the President’s agenda is, recommending bills to congress, and the power of the President to veto bills. Congress contains the power of the purse in which Congress controls the power of taxation and spending. Congress legislations and policies control some aspects of our lives like taxation or when they regulate us. Our Government

Being a part of Congress is one of the most powerful political positions in America. Congress is made up of the House of Representative and Senate for a grand total of 535 members. While that may not give give an individual power, it gives the large group so much power to do many things and even override the president on certain occasions. Most decisions they make need a ⅔ vote from the group. Congress many other powers, maybe too much power. Congress has too much power because of its expressed powers, implied/inherent powers, and its “voting powers”.

Along with the Constitution we have the Articles of Confederation. Under these Articles congress was a single house where each state had 2 to 7 members but only one vote. They selected executive judges and military officers as well as having power to make war and peace and conduct foreign affairs. The ability to have money Congress could borrow and print money, but they could not collect taxes or enforce laws, precisely it had to rely on the states to provide and enforce. Articles of Confederation was written to be a “framework for the government of the United States, it established a firm league of friendship among the states rather than a government of the people.” (book)

The federal government began to gain power, and in Article I section 8 says, “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imports, and excises, to pay the debts and provide the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imports and excises shall be uniform through the United States; to borrow money on the credit of the United Staes; to regulate commerce with foreign nation, and among the several states, and with the Indians Tribes… to establish post offices and post roads .” The following quote describes how the national government has different kinds of power compared to federal government. Article IV section 1 says, “full faith and credit shall be given in each states to the public acts, records, and judicial proceeding of every other state. And the Congress may general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings shall be proved… ” In simpler words, the state government has to follow laws just like a ordinary

The Congress Discussion One of the most interesting events that occurred in the early days of Congress occurred when George Washington brought the Senate the very first treaty to be ratified. Upon his delivery of this treaty Washington expected, being the President, an immediate ratification. However, before this instance a treaty

In the current administration the government and especially congress are viewed as dysfunctional. Congress is the legislative , or lawmaking branch of the federal government. It’s bicameral legislature of representatives and the senate. Congress is made up of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. As argued by Ezra Klein, congress is dysfunctional due to democrats and republicans denying each other accomplishments and it affecting the minority. However , Lee H. hamilton differs and believes congress isn’t dysfunctional and is objected to,

Prompt: Some argue that Congress is broken, while others argue the status quo should be maintained. In your opinion, to what degree is Congress broken and in what ways could it be improved?

The federal government and state governments have had a long history of powers struggles. The struggle goes back and forth between who has the right to make decisions and if there is a problem who should fix it. Sometimes it is better for the federal government to fix issues and during other situations it is better for the state or local governments to fix other issues. In the PBS special of the United States Constitution, Peter Sagal travels around the states documenting the various roles and impact the government has on the country as a whole and on the individual states.

Congress is not doing their job, and the Americans of United States are disapproving on how Congress is proceeding to do their duties. Theoretically, this is not really a new issue in Congress; they have had multiple fights and delays on bills throughout the years. An example would be the House of Representatives proposing fewer bills throughout this past decade. This is one of many issues that Congress had been doing behind the people of United States of America. While Congress members are slacking to do anything productive, we the “Americans” are slipping this situation right by our eyes. Congress needs to be situated and organized; and we the people, cannot afford any slackers in the Legislative Branch.

According to James Madison in the Federalist Paper number fifty-one, Madison stated that there will be powers given to the states and to the central government and powers given that both will share (Doc. A). The central government can regulate trade, conduct foreign relations and declare war, while the states can set up local governments, hold elections and establish schools. All together, they can both tax, borrow money and make laws. This way, the state and the central government will be able to be controlled by itself but also control each other at the same time. Federalism created a compromise between the federalists and the anti-federalists, who opposed the Constitution. It did so by adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution that listed specific prohibitions on governmental power. As a result, individuals and states are protected against what might be too much government power even up until

Is congress a dysfunctional institution? Columnist Ezra Klein contends that institutional deadlock and partisan rancor have paralyzed congress, causing it to lose power to the president and the bureaucracy. Former Massachusetts Senator Mo Cowan describes he has to come view the work of congress along with fellow members after fulfilling the remainder of John Kerry’s term upon the nomination of Governor Deval Patrick.

Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was given several new powers, while still allowing the states to maintain their sovereignty. Some of its’ powers included the ability to have jurisdiction over foreign affairs and relations. Similarly, it also possessed the power to make treaties and alliances. Other important powers the new government had were to be able to coin its own money, manage Native American affairs, and create vital establishments such as the national postal service. The army and navy could also be sustained in this new government, as it provided the states with a strong sense of security.

In order to form the new national government, the states had to compromise some of their rights but many of them were preserved and protected in the Constitution. For example, Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution limited the power of the states. It prohibited the states from doing things like entering a treaty with a foreign country, making their own currency, and forming an army during peacetime without Congress’ consent. Although this limited the rights of the states, the states didn’t need these rights individually because they were part of a bigger nation. Forming treaties with other nations, making their own currency, and forming an army during peacetime would’ve separated the states, ruining any chance of unity and making a

2. Federalism The entire states join together to form the federal government. The national and the state governments share power in order avoid the “centralized” government. The national government has the power which refers to coin money, declare war, defend the nation from foreign and domestic enemies, conduct foreign relations, and oversee foreign and interstate trade; while the state governments have power to ratify amendments, manage public health and safety, oversee trade with the state, educating. In addition, the national and states governments share the