Today, the United States Congress has two main purposes in our government; to create the laws of the land and to represent the American people. But, the main reason for creating a congress in the beginning was because of a growing outcry against British rule over the colonies. In 1774, delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress. “The announced purpose of the congress was to deliberate and determine on wise and proper measures . . . for the restoration of union and harmony between Great Britain and America” (Volkomer, Walter E.. 2012). They sent a list of grievances to King George III, calling for repeal of the Intolerable Acts - a series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament. …show more content…
There are 100 Senators in the Senate and 435 Representatives in the House. Both chambers of Congress meet in the Capitol building in Washington D.C. (Volkomer, Walter E.. 2012) Members of the House of Representatives serve two year terms and are referred to as congressman or congresswoman. During their two year term, they serve the people of a specific congressional district or area. Their main duties are to introduce bills and resolutions, serve on committees, and offer amendments. It’s also important to note that the Constitution states that any bill that raises revenue must originate in the House of Representatives. Members of the Senate serve six year terms and are usually looked upon more as a representative of their state rather than individuals. One thing the Senate has is the ability to block legislation coming through by way of a filibuster. Generally speaking, though, the House and the Senate operate mostly in the same capacity. The House is known to be a little faster-paced and the Senate is known to be a little slower and more deliberate. As stated earlier, the main role of Congress is to create laws. The procedure for creating laws in America is fairly simple on the surface, but there are a lot of layers that some people find confusing to follow. First a Senator or Representative needs to have an idea for a new law. They then need to produce a rough draft of the idea and sponsor it. This action turns the
Congress is a complex lawmaking function that runs the country. In other words is the legislative body of our country made up of a Senate and a House of Representatives. Difficulties that are involved by the representation function have to do with Congressmen wanting to be reelected, opposition between the two parties, and the lobbying that takes place. These three difficulties are what causes the conflict with the lawmaking function of Congress.
More than seventy-nine congressmen have been in office in both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate for twenty years or more; Patrick Leahy, Dianne Heinstein, Mitch McConnell, Mac Thornberry, and many, many more.
With 435 members in the House, the House of Representatives is known to be the body that symbolizes the citizens of America. It was intended that the House adhered to the beliefs of the people more than the Senate did, making the House of Representatives a bit more democratic. Senators are voted to represent the beliefs of a whole state; while on the other hand, members of House represent groups of citizens in specific districts of states. Because of this, representatives try and submit bills that appeal to the voters in their own district. This allows members to
Congress is a vital component of our government. It has a great amount of authority over foreign affairs, a bicameral legislature which seeks to balance power, as well as having power over economic matters under Article I Section 8 of the Constitution (The Logic of American Politics, 219). The failures of the Articles of Confederation called for a stronger government demanded by the people of America. The Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches were created thus Congress was formed. These powers of Congress have much control under the branches of government, being able to deal with affairs outside of the country as well as having the Senate and House of Representatives. The structure of Congress
When the United States government was founded a bicameral legislature was created. The constitutional creators desired that the House of Representatives be both close and accountable to the American people (NDI.org, 2011). The House of Representatives consists of 435 seats, which stand for election every two years (Indiana.edu, 2016). The Representatives are
The Senate is the other half of Congress. It is called the upper house. The Senate is made up of one hundred Senators; two per state no matter what the population is. Senators are appointed by their state legislature and serve a six-year term then they will have to run for re-election. The powers specific to the Senate are approve treaties, impeachment trials of government officials, and give consent for presidential
Congress serves as our legislative branch, separated into a bicameral body with their own set of responsibilities. Congressmen and women, are elected representatives
The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government and consists of two chambers: the House known as the House of Representatives and the Senate known as the Senate. The words "Congress" and "House" are sometimes used to refer to the House of Representatives. There are 535 members of Congress: 100 senators and 435 representatives in the House. The House of Representatives is one of two chambers of the United States Congress. It is often referred to as at home. The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States
The United States Congress consists of two houses: The House Of Representatives and the senate. The house of representatives is recognized as the Lower House, while the senate is the Upper House or chamber. The senators and the representatives are allocated by manage election. Though, the speaker of the house is selected by the associates and members of the house. During the period of the 19th and 20th centuries, the manipulation and the power of the speaker increased significantly. Every single state has at least one representative and two senators. On the top of these states is California has the biggest number of representatives that is 53. The senate and the representative have the alike power of legislation. Nowadays, the chair of the
Congress has many functions to keep it working and functioning. They do many things to make laws, make sure they’re fair, and much more. There are also many committees with important jobs. There are many things that influence congressional elections such as reapportionment, redistricting, much more. There are many people who make up the House and Senate and they have many important jobs to keep things running smoothly.
The United States Congress is made of two houses, the lower house known as the House of Representatives and an upper house known as the Senate. The lower house plays a major role in the government. They initiate all revenue based legislation. Any proposal to raise taxes must come from the House. The House also responds to the needs of the people faster since representatives only have a two year term. The Upper house serves a six year term giving the Senate the long term effects of laws.
Congress is the part of the US Federal Government responsible for creating laws. The United States Congress consists of two parts, also known as chambers, the Senate, which is made up of two senators from each state (plus the Vice President can break ties), and the House of Representatives, which is made up of 435 representatives from across the country, allocated to states based on population (so a very populous state like California gets more representatives than a state like Wyoming). A proposed law must be approved by both chambers and then be signed by the president in order to become a law.
The Organizational Structure of congress in the United Stated is demonstrated through the fact that we have a House and a Senate that are separated from each other. Congress is a very complex structure that possesses many committees that all handle a variety of topics. The United States Senate is composed of only 100 members that serve six year terms. Some refer to the senate as the “upper house”, and only 1/3 of the members of the United Senate are re-elected every two years. The House of Representatives is composed of 435 members that each serve two year terms. The HOR is known as the “lower house” and all 435 members are up for re-election every two years. The top two leadership roles in the Senate are The Vice President of the United States who presides over the Senate, and required to vote when there is a tie in Senate. Also in the case of a death of a president, the Vice president must step up and preside over the nation. The second most vital role in Senate is the President Pro-Tempore. The President Pro-Tempore is the highest ranked senator as elected by the Senate. The top two positions in the House are The Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader. The Speaker of the House is arguably the most influential single legislator in both houses. The Speaker presides over proceedings on the House floor, designates which bills go to which committees, designates committee assignments for new members, appoints the party 's other leaders , and
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica define Congress as, “the legislature of the United States of America, established under the Constitution of 1789 and separated structurally from the executive and judicial branches of government. It consists of two houses: The Senate, in which each state, regardless of its size, is represented by two senators, and the House of Representatives, to which members are elected on the basis of population.”
Senate: The other house of the United States’ bicameral legislature. They share the responsibility of lawmaking with the U.S House of Representatives. There are two senators elected per state, and, therefore, 100 members of the U.S Senate.