congress and legislation essay plan, the roles of congress, easily applicable to other essay questions - moreover this topic repeatedly comes up so is worth revising.
Plan: is the congressional legislative process effective?
Introduction
Thesis:
Argument Effective scrutiny?
1
Point The lengthy process should ensure scrutiny of legislation and ensure the quality, popularity and
workability of laws that are passed.
Explain RESOLVING DIFFERENCES
1. Ping-Pong - liaising amendments
2. Take it or leave it - accept or drop it completely
3. Set up a conference committee - equal number of both house in the committee
4. Then goes to the president
Can pass laws on a wide range of policy issues.
No child left behind/Obamacare - congress is deepening its role in policy that has often been
reserved for states.
Counter In times of united govt, scrutiny is reduced through party dominance; in times of divided
point govt, partisanship can cause gridlock and a total lack of legislation.
Even after considerable scrutiny and compromise by congress, the president alone can
prevent a bill becoming law and his veto is unlikely to be overturned.
Explain The difficulty of creating and passing legislation means that congress does not pass huge amounts of
legislation. Congress failed to pass any meaningful immigration reform despite bipartisan efforts in
the senate and support from president Obama.
Judgement
Argument Power equality?
2
Point The equality of both houses in the legislative process ensures that the needs of both the
people and the states are heard, with compromise being integral to the process.
The requirement of supermajorities for veto override and a cloture motion helps to prevent
the tyranny of one party.
Explain Ping pong
Counter Power is placed in the hands of a few, especially the speaker of the house, senate majority
point leader and committee chairs.
The need for supermajorities and the ability of one senator to hold up a bill allow for tyranny
of the minority and majority.
Explain Filibuster: a prolonged speech given to the floor of the senate aimed at preventing further action
being taken on legislation.
HOR - time limited debates
Senate - right of unlimited debate
1957 Strom Thurmond - 24hrs in opposition to civil rights acts
2013 Ted Cruz - green eggs and ham - fake filibuster as he wasn't holding up a vote on
legislation, but still demonstrates the senate power of unlimited debate
House of rules committee!
Key problem: people are angry with the house rules committee because they use their scheduling
powers against their own people - being silenced, they decide the scheduling and rules of the debate
H Rule committee: dominated by the majority party 2:1 - within that power it is also more
concentrated to the speaker.
There is a DOUBLE LAYER OF CONCENTRATED POWER - democracy? Shows how powerful
the speaker is.
Allows the committee to control the passage of legislation
Weaponised
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