...Examine the roles of standing committees in the US Congress. (10 MARKS) AQA Both the House of Representatives and the Senate work through Congress Committees. These committees allow much of the more detailed work of Congress to be undertaken. The first and most important function of a standing committee is to conduct the committee stage bills in the legislative process. They scrutinise legislation. This involves holding “hearings” with “witnesses” being called and evidence being taken. Witnesses may be: other congress members or ordinary members of the public. The legislation can be altered a lot at the committee stage of legislation. This is the stage where most legislation fails. After the hearings, conclusions are made and a vote is taken by the committee on whether or not to pass the bill on to its second reading which is the next stage in the legislative process. The fact that this stage is before the first discussion of the law makes the standing committee very significant. The second common function is scrutiny. Each executive department can face scrutiny from specific committees in both houses. The standing committees have congressional oversight of the executive branch. They conduct investigations within the committee’s policy area. They attempt to answer questions like: “Why did this happen? And Is new legislation required? Examples of these committees are the Senate Foreign Relations Committee or the House Budget Committee which is chaired by Congressman...
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...It could be argued that the US President is becoming increasingly weaker rather than stronger, despite the writings of Arthur Schlesinger in his book ‘The Imperial Presidency. Gerald Ford remarked that the “Presidency was in peril” showing the fall of power for the US President. There are many limits on the powers of the President, however many could argue that these are not enough in preventing the president from being imperial from the other branches of government. One argument that the Presidency is imperilled is that no President has been able to exert the same amount of power that Franklin D Roosevelt did during the 1930s and 40s. Roosevelt remains the President to have increased the role of the executive branch of government with his New Deal policies which created organisations such as EXOP. He also broke the convention that a President only stood for two terms, becoming the only President to be elected for four terms. However, once his presidency was over, the powers of the President were soon limited to prevent the President from becoming too powerful. The 23rd amendment ensured that a President would serve no more than two terms. Thus all the Presidents following FDR have been unable to demonstrate as much power as he did. Even his successor, President Truman, could not do as much in office as FDR, despite having to deal with the fallout from the end of World War Two. In contrast however, some Presidents have been able to show a large amount of power overseas, rather...
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...Functions and Roles of Law LAW/421 Joshua Maxa 30 July 2012 Kathryn Harris Functions and Role of Laws Abstract In this paper we will be talking about how laws are made and by who they are made. Then we will also be talking about three different types of laws that are society leans on every day. Moving in to who is responsible for using the laws and what the functions of laws are with in society and business. That will bring us to the point of talking about the commerce clause and what role this clause has on my current job and the whole trucking industry. Within that clause we will be talking about a few of the laws that Congress has set forth for the trucking industry and what impact it has on people like me the driver. Who makes the Laws? Laws are a very important function in today’s society and business. Without laws what would the world be like? Well to answer this question we must first know who writes the laws, what laws are, and who is responsible for using the laws. We must also see firsthand how these laws affect us as a society and as a business. First let’s take a look at who makes laws. Laws are made by three branches of the government. These branches are the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. The executive branch is made up of the president and vice president who have to sign all laws before they go into effect. This is only after the legislative branch has made and voted on any law that they believe should...
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...There is a definite need for Congress in the United States. It serves many roles such as making laws, implementing national policy and watching over the other two branches of government. These are just a few of the duties of our U.S. Congress. Although they are essential to our government, there are potential problems. People are not always satisfied with the length of time involved in passing a law as well as the deadlock Congress can experience on an issue. Another potential problem people see with Congress is representation. Not all Americans feel that they are equally represented. The Congress of the United States is viewed by many as the largest branch in government. Some people might even say it is the most important. This is due to the roles Congress pays in our government. Congress is responsible for the lawmaking in our country as well as implementing national policy. The power to make laws was given to Congress by our forefathers when they constructed our constitution. Passing laws is very important to our country because without them we would be living in chaos. Of course, all our laws are not perfect but for the most part our Congress does a good job at keeping this country under control. The problems with lawmaking that most people see is the time involved in getting a law passed. In order for a bill to become a law it must first be "introduced to the House or Senate, or both, then referred to a committee." (Cummings / Wise 479). This can be a very...
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...Spring 14 Spring 14 08 Fall 08 Fall US Army Corps of Engineers Ken Lynch A brief analysis of the US Army Corps of Engineers role in locks and dams US Army Corps of Engineers Ken Lynch A brief analysis of the US Army Corps of Engineers role in locks and dams US Army Corps of Engineers Nature has constructed a labyrinth of highways perfect for resourceful materials handling. The web of rivers cutting their way throughout this country comprises the United States Inland Waterway System. There are over 12,000 navigable miles carrying almost 625 million tons of commodities annually on the rivers (C. James Kruse). An in depth look in one of the oldest methods of transportation describes the design, creation, implementation, and maintenance of locks and dams as conducted by the US Army Corps of Engineers. A closer look will also be taken at the history of the US ACE. A brief explanation of what is the inland waterway helps to understand the significance the US Army Corps of Engineers has played in shaping the capacity of waterborne transportation. The United States has used rivers for materials handling dating back hundreds of years. As time went on, the potential for using rivers became more and more apparent. Locks and dams had to be constructed to fully utilize the waterways. The rivers were already in place but for barges to travel up and down the rivers the implementation of locks and dams alleviated the problems arising from drops in river elevation...
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...The Systematic Obliteration of the Constitutional Republic The power of the US federal government, relative to the power of the states, has increased since the ratification of the Constitution in 1791. Describe how the provisions within the Constitution pertaining to the ‘power to tax and spend’ (Art.1, sec.8, pt.1) and the ‘commerce clause’ (Art.1, sec.8, pt.3) have been used over time to expand federal power and thus the power of the President. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Declaration of Independence, n.d.). Taken adapted from the scholar John Locke’s “Life Liberty and Estate” in his text the ‘Second Treatise of Government’, (Locke, J. 2005) and incorporated into the United States declaration of independence. Much has been said on the influence of Locke, on Thomas Jefferson during the drafting of the United States declaration of independence, such as was argued by McKay, (2005 pp. 44) . However, where Locke emphasized the importance of procuring and maintaining a limited government, it appears his influences on the political foundation of the United States drew to a halt here. As we are now bearing witness, to one of the most rapidly expanding government institutions in western liberal democracy. In this essay, I intend to discuss how the expansion of federal government power has increased...
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...Role of Congress Congress is the Bicameral Legislature of the Federal Government of the United States that includes the two chambers: the Senate and House of Representatives. People are familiar with Congress and its primary role to create and pass new laws. But, most don’t realize how important it is that we have the two chambers. This Legislature was created in 1789, but why? What caused the framers to create two different chambers and what is it that causes them to be so different? Also, and most importantly, what role does Congress and the two chambers play in our Government? The creating of Congress, requirements of Congress, and the role of Congress will all be discussed. There remain two main reasons of how and why Congress was created. Early on, the framers’ envisioned how a singular legislature body could become...
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...President Jimmy Carter was ahead of his time when he asked Congress to re-activate the draft registration and amend the Military Selective Service Act to include women as well. Congress agreed to the draft registration but neglected to include women as they would only fill non-combat roles. However this led to several men challenging the act on a constitutional basis for gender-based discrimination under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment, which held up in district court and was soon brought to the Supreme Court. In the Case of Rostker v. Goldberg, the court decided in a 6-to-3 ruling that Congress's decision to exempt women from registration was not a by-product of a traditional way of thinking about females and did not violate...
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...sections that break out the functions and roles of law in business and society. This is enforced by Congress and many different acts have been passed that in addition to the constitution are the basis of the relationship between law, businesses and society. Mostly it is the basis for how business can or cannot be conducted. The foundation of Congressional powers in business fall under what is called enumerated powers. There are many enumerated powers in which are enforced in business. According to University of Phoenix The Legal Environment of Business: A Managerial Approach: Theory to Practice (2011), “The primary authorization of Constitutional powers is given to Congress under Article I. 2 Congress has enumerated powers in 18 different clauses. The powers that generally impact business owners and managers include (1) the power to regulate commerce ( Commerce Clause ); (2) taxing the citizenry and commercial entities and spending government funds (tax and spend provisions); (3) bankruptcy, patents, and copyrights; and (4) a more general implied authority to make all laws necessary for carrying out its enumerated powers (Necessary and Proper Clause ).” First this explains that Congress has an influence in businesses on how they produce, ship, sell etc. This is a power that comes from the Commerce Clause where Congress can regulate among several states. Congress is able to pass laws when interstate commerce is affected. Another role of law in business is taxes. According to...
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...The United State Congress: Does It Work? After declaring themselves free from British rule in 1776, the American people sought out a way to protect themselves from future tyrannical monarchs as the nation continued to grow and develop. This led to the creation of the three branches of government, one of which was the United States Congress, in order to decentralize power and ensure that the voice of the people is appropriately factored in legislative decisions. However, many have questioned whether this two hundred-year-old system still works today, as the number of citizens who trust the government steadily decreases. In his book How Congress Works and Why You Should Care, Lee Herbert Hamilton, a former member of the House of Representatives,...
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...parliamentary democracy where there is a fusion of powers between branches of government 1. It is often argued that a parliamentary system of government based on a fusion of powers is a more effective form of government, particularly when legislating. Although this may be the case, the US political system has overcome issues faced by most parliamentary democracies such as elective dictatorships and poor scrutiny of the executive. This has been due to the structure of the US political system based on the separation of powers. In this essay I will assess the positive and the negative aspects of the US political system. I will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages the separation of powers has brought to the US system of government. I will first assess the positive aspects of the US political system. I will then discuss the negative aspects of the US political system, finally drawing a conclusion. The ‘separation of powers is a central structural feature of the United States constitution’ 2. The US political system was designed first and foremost to prevent tyranny, something the founding fathers still feared even after America had gained independence from British rule. When writing the US constitution, the founding fathers were worried about concentrating too much power in any one institution 3. The framers therefore dispersed constitutional authority between the three branches of government and the accumulation of power in the hands of a single institution was denied 4...
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...’Members of the US Congress are too concerned with local matters and not concerned enough with issues affecting the whole country’ . Discuss. (30) The United States Congress has three primary roles: to represent, to legislate and to scrutinise (or ‘oversee’) the Executive Branch. However many people are beginning to wonder whether or not certain roles are more prominent than others, such a representation. Not only that but it can be argued that members of Congress may have slight ‘amnesia’ in terms of remembering that they were not only elected to represent their constituents, but their country too. It appears that self ambition and the prospects of re election are too sweet of an opportunity to miss out on that members are failing the country as a whole whilst benefiting individual states. In this essay I will be discussing not only this view but the view of the opposing, in which people believe the statement in question is false, and how these views differentiate between the two chambers of the Congress, the House and the Senate. The Federalist Papers provide a clear statement of the political behaviour expected of representatives, subjected to popular elections, drawing their political strength from their constituencies which were in the most cases small and reasonably homogenous. The authors contended that these circumstance would cause members of the House of Representatives to be highly sensitive to popular opinion. James Madison, when arguing in Federalist No.62 for the...
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...The president of the United States has many roles he or she assume once they are elected and sworn into office. From being the Commander in Chief, Chief Executive, Chief Diplomat and many more roles as the president. One of the most important roles the president has is being the Chief Diplomat. As the Chief Diplomat of the United States the president is at the forefront of Foreign affairs. With being in such a role the president oversee the structure of our foreign policies, assignment of our ambassadors and diplomats and the agreements of treaties. As the Chief Diplomat of the United States the president play an important role in making and the ensuring that the all signed policies are enforced. With the president being at the forefront he or she enlists the help of its National Security Council. This council advise on matter around the world such as treaties, foreign national disasters, or on executive agreements. From here the president can make its decision on the matter. The president automatically becomes the national spokesperson for the United States. With the president being the face of our nation and being the spokesperson that speaks for us in inaugural addresses or even the...
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...Carolina and their positions. The Constitution clearly states that number of seats each State has in the U. S. House of Representatives reflects the relative size of the State's population as compared with other States. Each of these representatives is elected by the voters of a congressional district established by law for the election of representatives to the U.S. Congress. Each congressional district is to be as equal in population to all other congressional districts in the State as possible, based on census counts. The number of congressional districts in each State may change after a decennial census. The number of seats assigned to the individual States is determined by the task of drawing the new congressional districts, which is delegated to each State legislature. The boundaries of the 113th Session of Congress will change. Congressional district boundaries may be changed more than once during a decade. The 111th United State Congress consists of 541 elected officials from 50 states. It is the federal legislature of the Unites States of America that follows the 1 st Congress in 1789. The Senator has 100 members, and the House...
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...is this a fair assessment of Congress? (45 Marks) Within the constitution, the power of Congress first appears in Article 1, Section 1, ‘all legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States’. This suggests that congress has huge amounts of power Congress in creating legislature, scrutinizing the executive and playing a huge role when it comes to the checks and balances of the three branches of government. However, in recent times, many people argue that congress is ‘broken’. One of the biggest examples of this is the increasingly poor legislative record. Although there is going to be a big bias within congress, especially with the Republicans now controlling both chambers, this essay will look at both sides of the argument and help me decide on whether Congress is, in fact, broken. Time magazine recently stated that congress is now less popular than the Internal Revenue Service and, even more startlingly, Donald Trump! In 2013, congress only had a 6% polling, the lowest it had ever been, and the only other group of people to have a lower approval rating was the Kardashian family, quite disgraceful. Congress is supposed to be the most important branch of Government. It creates legislation, scrutinizes the executive and sets out the budget along doing many other important things. The fact that the approval rating now stands at 13% is very shocking. Mark Twain once said ‘Suppose you were a member of congress and an idiot, but I repeat myself’...
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