How effective is congress in fulfilling its legislative function

Question 1

It is effective because….

Answer 1

• Deliberately complicated to weed out unpopular legislation
• Average of 300 new Acts of Congress passed into law every 2 years
• ‘Limiting government’ that the govt should only act when it is essential
• Congress passed important legislation e.g. gun violence, healthcare etc

Question 2

It is not effective because…

Answer 2

• Small-population states are over-represented in the Senate
• 2 year election cycle in the House means members can spend too much time campaigning and not on legislation
• Congress spends a lot of time debating and voting on bills of minor importance e.g. Allowing postal services to issue a commemorative stamps