To what extent is congress a broken branch? As we go into the second year of the 114th congress it is clear that now more than ever there is a clear divide between the parties ideologically and socially, affecting the efficiency of congress. With the media having an even greater influence than ever, the general public are being influenced to view the opposite party as adversaries in commerce rather than comrades. Congress’ apparent neglection to perform their duties of representation, oversight and legislation, is under noticeable scrutiny form the public. Whether the bureaucratic system is altogether faltering and letting down the American people is still to be argued.
Obama’s limitations are resultant of a Republican Majority in both the House and the Senate. With a Democrat in executive power and a Republican run legislative body, the legislation process is far less effective than in previous years, with either side causing restrictions for the other. Only 115 bills have been able to pass through and become enacted laws within the last year. In comparison to 385 when there was a Democratic majority in the House. In perspective, triple the amount of bills passed through the 111th congress than through the current one. One could argue that bills do not need to be passed through congress at a substantial rate, however this is congresses way of representing the wishes of their people and therefore an extremely important duty to perform. The conflict between the Republicans and Obama is continual as he accuses them of hindering his executive abilities and they accuse him of acting unconstitutional as a result. The sour relations between the two parties is growing and a lack of communication and discussion will lead to further congressional inefficiency. The constant attacks on Obama reflect in the efforts to repeal ObamaCare and declare his actions