Please answer the following essay prompt taken from the released College Board AP US Government and Politics Exam. If you come across a section of the question that you are not familiar with, you may use your textbook and/or notes.
You have till Sunday to complete the question. I will be taking a grade for completion and effort.
1. Members of Congress are charged with three primary duties-writing laws, overseeing the implementation
of laws, and serving the needs of their constituents.
(a) Describe the role of each of the following in lawmaking.
-Senate filibuster
-House Rules Committee
-Conference Committee
(b) Describe one method by which Congress exercises oversight of the federal bureaucracy.
(c) Explain how casework affects members' attention to legislation.
Senate filibuster is a way to stop action in the lawmaking process. A senator can engage in unlimited debate and refuse to relinquish the floor. This stalls action and prohibits the vote on the bill being presented. Only a cloture vote stops a Senate filibuster.
ReplyDeleteThe House Rules Committee has a great amount of power in the lawmaking process. They set the time limits for debates of proposed bills, and they determine the number and type of floor amendments that are allowed to the bill. They grant a tickets, or rule, to the floor to present a bill. So, they can prevent consideration of a bill through denying access to the floor. If they do grant a rule, they can grant either a closed or open rule. The closed rule denies floor amendments or makes the bill's committee members the only ones who can make amendments. The open rule only allows amendments to be made while the bill is debated in the allotted time period.
The Conference Committee settles differences between the versions of bills passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate. A bill that was passed identically in both houses can become law. So, the Conference Committee takes the two versions of the bill and adjust the differences. Members of both houses and both parties are represented, but the majority party has the most seats. The Conference Committee is very influential and important in the lawmaking process.
Congress works in conjunction with the president in the oversight of the federal bureaucracy through "police patrol" oversight. They conduct reports, monitor budgets, and keep tabs on the actions of department agencies. This allows them to fix problems before they surface, most of the time. Also, Congressional members can ask agencies for information on any issue to exercise oversight.
Casework requires time, resources, and people. Congress members have limited amounts of time and resources. The strain on their time caused by casework can cause a Congress member to not have the ability to adequately focus on legislation.
Excellent job! I'm giving you 10 points extra credit in the quiz category for completing this assignment on time! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSenate filibuster is carried out when a senator wishes to halt the lawmaking process. The senator will do so by holding the floor and continuing his argument in order to avoid the bill being presented.
ReplyDeleteThe House Rules Committee is responsible for determining the length of debates and number and types of amendments allowed when presenting a bill. This committee withholds a great amount of power due to the fact that they are capable of accepting or denying access to the floor. By denying access to the floor, they are capable of preventing a bill from being presented. When they do allow access to the floor, it is called a rule. They can either grant an open or closed rule. An open rules allows for amendments to be created in the time that a bill is being debated. A closed rule, on the other hand, can either allow the committee members of the bill to create amendments or no floor amendments allowed at all.
The Conference Committee is responsible for adjusting the differences between two similar bills that have been passed in both the House of Representatives and Senate. This committee in vital in the lawmaking process and allows for maintaining unity in both the House and Sentate.
Congress has a hand in federal bureaucracy because they maintain oversight alongside the president. Basically, congress keeps the federal bureaucracy in check by dealing with problems before they get out of control. They do so by overlooking the budget and actions of the separate departments within the bureaucracy.
Many congress members are unable to focus on legislation due to the fact that casework can be very strenuous and time consuming. If it were not for the overwhelming casework, more members in Congress would be allowed to fully focus on legislation.