Лекция: Congress

The legislative branch of national government consists of two houses – the Senate and the House of Representatives – each with a different role, different power and a different electoral procedure.

The House of Representatives is the dynamic institution of the federal government. The states are represented on a population basis and are divided into congressional districts or constituencies of roughly equal size (around 520,000 people). There are currently 435 members, who are elected every two years. All states must by law adopt the system of single-member constituencies with a simple majority vote. Vacancies arising from death, resignation, etc, are filled by by-elections.

The chairman of the House of Representatives, the Speaker, is elected by the House and has important responsibilities, giving him considerable influence over the President. Moreover, should the President and Vice-President die before the end of their terms, it is the Speaker who becomes President.

The Senate is the conservative counterweight to the more populist House of Representatives. Each state has two senators who, since 1913 (17th Amendment), have been chosen directly by the electorate in the way decided by the state legislature in each state. Senators are elected every six years, but the elections are staggered so that one-third of the Senate is elected every two years. A vacancy caused by death or resignation is filled until the next congressional elections by the nomination of the State Governor. There are currently 100 senators. The Senate has the special privilege of unlimited debate to safeguard the rights of minorities, but this can enable a small group of Senators to prevent the passage of a bill (filibustering).

Although Congress can legislate its most important task has become that of scrutinizing the policies and actions of the executive, and upholding the interests of states and districts. Indeed, since Representatives and Senators depend on the voters in their various states or constituencies for re-election, they tend to satisfy the particular interests of constituencies and special groups rather than tackle the problems of the nation as a whole. Congress also controls the nation’s finances and its permanent specialist staff helps Congress consider and change the budget presented each year by the President.