2.3: is congress effective at carrying out its roles?

Question 1

legislation

YES

Answer 1

• major legislation has been passed
• the low pass rate suggests only necessary legislation gets through
• the lengthy process ensures scrutiny of the bills
• a staggered electoral cycle and resulting divided government ensure compromise in legislation
• the requirement for supermajorities ensures broad consensus

Question 2

legislation

NO

Answer 2

• the process is so lengthy thousands of bills fail to pass in each congressional session
• the process can be dominated by a few key individuals in either house, such as the speaker or the majority leader.
• in times of united government, bills can be rushed through
• in times of divided government, gridlock can prevent important legislation passing and result in government shutdowns

Question 3

Representation

YES

Answer 3

• the representation of minority groups and women has improved in recent decades
• caucuses allow under represented groups to act together, thereby increasing their influence
• parties are well represented in an increasingly partisan american population
• both the people of a state, and the wider state interests are represented by the 2 elected houses

Question 4

Representation

NO

Answer 4

• the importance of money in electoral campaigns can allow lobbyists to influence members of congress more than their constituents or state
• increasingly partisan voting patterns lead to a good representation of the majority at the expense of representation of, or compromise with, the minority
• representation of minority groups and women remains far below their proportion of the national population

Question 5

Oversight

YES

Answer 5

• congress has demonstrated a willingness to use the veto override, in some cases to great effect
• during times of divided government, the president is likely to face extensive scrutiny from Congress
• commitees have overseen investigatons into actions such as Benghazi which had far-reaching impacts
• congress has demonstrated its independence from presidentially demande legislation
• congress has been willing to challenge the president in the supreme court
• congress has been able to develop and evolve its own powers, attempting to use its financial power to control the president’s role of commander in chief
• impeachment has been used four times to its fullest extent

Question 6

Oversight

NO

Answer 6

• oversight can sometimes appear party political rather than interests of good policy, and this is increasingly true in the case of party-line votes on appointments
• the chances of the veto override being efective are outweighted by the chances of failure, given the requirement for a supermajority
• the power to declare war seems largely to have been unsurped by the president
• presidents have found ways around the constitutional powers of congress, using executive orders to create pseudo-legislation and pseudo-treaties
• in times of crisis or unified government, congress is more likely to act with deference to the president
• impeachment has proven difficult to entact to effectively remove someone from office.