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A 30/30 essay on: Evaluate the view that Congress fails in its legislative role (30).
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Congress Legislation essay 30/30Evaluate the view that Congress fails in its legislative role (30)
Congress's failing in its legislative role has always been something in debate. It can be said that
Congress to a large extent has failed in performing its legislative role due to its legislative quality
and output being reduced because of the structural and procedural considerations in both
chambers of Congress, the culture of Congress and the type of government (united or divided)
affecting congresses legislative output and quality.
Proponents of Congress say that the legislative role is performed effectively due to the
arrangements of the Constitution allowing for high legislative quality enabling Congress to perform
its legislative role effectively. Advocates of Congress place emphasis on legislative quality rather
than quantity and for this to happen legislation must be carefully scrutinised, which the
constitutional arrangements allow for this to happen in three main ways. The separation of
powers, a bicameral co-equal legislature and in terms of legislative checks, giving the president
veto power and Congress the opportunity to override that veto. Congress has also added
significant legislative hurdles ensuring legislative quality through committees that have the power
to add amendments to bills and the filibuster in the Senate. These structures and procedures
make the passing of legislation difficult encouraging compromise between the two chambers, the
two parties in the chambers and between the President and Congress as a whole. These
legislative challenges and hurdles mean laws that pass this are necessary and effective. This is
highlighted by Joe Biden's Infrastructure Act in 2021, which included $550 billion of new federal
investments in America's infrastructure over 5 years, covering everything from bridges, roads to
investment into the nation's high-speed broadband and water energy systems. This law kept the
country safe and updated making it extremely successful indicating Congress performing its
legislative function through high-quality laws. The hurdles put in place to ensure high legislative
quality is highlighted by Senator Jo Manchin who held up Joe Biden’s green agenda for fear that it
would affect jobs in his West Virginia state which easily relies on coal as a major employer, making
sure that Biden's green agenda didn’t damage his state economically allowing for high-quality
laws which affect the whole country positively as a whole to be passed. However, there’s plenty of
evidence to suggest that these structures like the separation of powers, the bicameral nature of
the legislature and the additional hurdles Congress has put in place like committees and
filibusters as actually got in the way of sensible law-making. This has made it hard for Congress to
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