Famous American poet James Russell Lowell once said, “Democracy gives every man the right to be his own oppressor” (“Quotations” 2011). And it should be just that. James Russell Lowell successfully defined democracy when it is in its truest form; a citizen’s beliefs should be equally represented and considered for. The representative democracy instated in the United States presents the need for three branches in the government; they include the executive, legislative, and judicial branch. The Congress embodies the lawmaking branch of the government, having “all legislative powers” as it is stated in Article I of the Constitution. To prevent one state from having too much power over other states, the Congress was separated into the House of Representatives and the Senate to have checks and balances over each other. Although they have several different functions in society, both legislative bodies play a very important role in representing both the citizens’ and government’s choices.
The United States Congress was the result of two historical moments in United States, the First and Second Continental Congress. Long before he was a president, James Madison wrote the Virginia Plan for the governor of Virginia, Edmund Randolph, to propose at the convention. It basically stated that the Congress should be separated into two houses so it would not become tyrannical (Davidson 152). One of the houses eventually became the House of Representatives and one became the Senate. With the creation of a bicameral legislative branch, the framers had to separate the jobs each House would have to do and set the checks and balance so one body would not have more power than the other. Each House was presented with different responsibilities that are ...
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...e senatorial saucer to cool it” (Longley 2011).”
Works Cited
Davidson, James West. US: A Narrative History. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 152-153. Print.
Harrison, Brigid C., and Jean Harris. "Congress." A More Perfect Union. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011. 408-410. Print.
Longley, Robert. "House and Senate – Why We Have a House and a Senate." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
"Quotations." Quotation Book. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2011.
"Responsibilities of Majority and Minority Leaders ." U.S. Senate. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
Trethan, Phaedra. "About the U.S. Senate." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2011.
Davidson, Roger H., Walter J. Oleszek, and Frances E. Lee. Congress and Its Members. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2009. Print.
America’s form of representative democracy came as a result of the transgressions Britain committed against their colonies. Several hundred years of salutary neglect served well for those living an ocean away from their motherland. Realizing the prosperity that colonies had obtained through a semi-free market society, the King of England and the parliament began enacting many taxes and acts. Taking away the colonies freedom was unsettling amongst the colonists and eventually led to a revolution. This revolution secured freedom from Britain as well as founded a new nation with the first ever constitution. Although the process to achieve democracy in America was a long, laborious road the freedom, prosperity and equality of opportunity shared by those amongst the states could not be denied.
Another similarity is they both play an important role in an impeachment trial.Bothe have to be or live in the state that they want to represent.They are both are elected by popularity votes.The senate and house both have a committee of employees that help them. There are many ore but the last that I have that they both argue and voto on bills. These are a few of the similarities that they House and senates
As having the advantage of being able to attend the Model Senate; a lot of experiences were achieved. Having three days of being in an environment where it places you in a spot where you learn about how the senate debate and vote over bills. This paper will be about how a senate works and how my senator was impacted in the committee, party, etc. First a small recap of my senator in the Model Senate; my Senator was Bob Casey (Senior), senator of Pennsylvania. Currently, Senator Casey is serving his second term he is the first Senator in the history of Pennsylvania to be elected twice who is a democrat. Casey is a “pro-life” and believes that working for the people is the key to a better society not only for his state but for the United States.
When discussing the makeup of Congress, one must first look to the intent of the framers around creating a bicameral legislature. This would take me to the first section of our class regarding the debates the founding fathers had about equal representation of the states in the Congress.
In today’s political world, bipartisanship has become nothing more than something that comes up once in a while within congress; it is something that people either agree with or don’t. This essay will include what bipartisanship is, how it works, and the good things it has accomplished.
The newly formed Senate was prescribed along different lines. This institution was to be a house of review, a house designed specifically to empower and protect the states from the dangers of domination by the federal government. The Senators were elected in equal...
With fifty states making up the United States, most follow a similar government set up as the federal government. With the exception of Nebraska, each state is made up of a bicameral legislature. In a bicameral legislature, there are two separate houses, one being the upper house and one being the lower. The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature of Indiana. Being bicameral, the Indiana General Assembly consists of the upper house, the Indiana Senate, and the lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives. While Indiana follows a very similar bicameral system as the federal government, Nebraska became the only state with a unicameral state legislature in 1934, meeting for the first time in 1937 (NCSL 2016). In this paper I will
Finkelman, Paul, ed. and Donald R. Kennon, ed. Congress and the Crisis of the 1850s. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2012. eBook (tamusaworldcat). Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
Easy-to-understand Explanation of the Foundation of American Government. Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2011. 161-62. Print.
The House and Senate were established at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 by the Great Compromise to represent each state, and the Population of the United States. The House and Senate are in some ways identical, and in other ways they are very different. At the end of the day both the House and the Senate are ultimately charged with one task, serving the American people.
The United States of America, which is typically characterized as the beacon of democracy, has been surpassed by nations that better exemplify democratic principles. It is common knowledge that decisions are made by representatives rather than through direct democracy. These representatives are not always directly chosen by the people, but rather through convoluted partisan processes. The idea of democracy as opposed to monarchy became popular during the Enlightenment in Europe. The ideals and principles explored during that time are woven into modern government. The idea that protections must be made against tyranny of the majority and minority were also developed in this time. In the United States, one such protection is the Electoral College,
The Constitutional Powers of the House are very important to the country. The House initiates all revenue bills and initiates (and passes or defeats) articles of impeachment. Other structural differences that are important about the House is that it is more hierarchically organized (more centralized, more formal, stronger leadership.) than the Senate. Power is also distributed less evenly because of the large number of members. The members themselves are highly specialized. The House also emphasizes tax and revenue policy. The big difference between the House and Senate is that the House has way more committees and subcommittees. Like, a lot more. Another interesting thing about the house is that it introduces new bills by putting them into “the hopper.” (The representatives introduce bills by placing them in the bill hopper attached to the side of the Clerk’s desk in the Chamber. The term derives from a funnel-shaped storage bin filled from the top and emptied from the bottom, which is often used to house grain or coal. Bills are retrieved from the hopper and referred to committees with the appropriate jurisdiction.)
Bicameral Legislature Bicameral legislature- A congress made up of two houses. In the U.S. it is the senate and the House of Representatives. Constitutional convention agreed to a bicameral legislation.
Van, B. S. D., & University of Pittsburgh. (1995). Post-passage politics: Bicameral resolution in Congress. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. 6th edition http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/text idx?idno=31735057897302;view=toc;c=pittpress