Mock Congress Reflection

It is necessary to understand that although, it is the working of committees that creates legislation, it is the individual politician whom takes credit for it. As mentioned previously, party unity does not exist beyond the local level, and never has. Mayhew continues this with, “…Congress does not have to sustain a cabinet…” (p. 128). Members of Congress have no need to be cohesive, but can if they want to do so. In effect, the individual member leans towards individualistic policies that are beneficial to maintaining office.

In the movie “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington” Jeff Smith has been elected for senator after one of his state’s two Senators dies. His journey to figure out the ropes of being a congressman is troublesome yet successful. He gains the mentorship of Senator Paine even though Paine isn’t as noble as his reputation would state. Senator Paine becomes involved in a plan to disgrace Smith. Committed to standing up against Paine, Smith takes the case for a boys campsite to the Senate floor. He turns into a filibuster and everyone is getting tired of him talking. Eventually he passes out from speaking for 23 hours, Paine gives up the election, and Smith wins.

Congressional Gridlock is a recurring issue in America’s political system, and it is crippling the efficacy of the governments ability to lead the country to overall prosperity. Gridlock, in terms of politics, refers to the inability for the political system to adequately satisfy the needs of the citizens in that country. In reference to Congress, a gridlock is when the people cannot be satisfied due to disagreements in legislation that hinder the process of making laws. One recent consequence of congressional gridlock is the congressional stand still concerning gun violence in our nation and the oppositions on what affect, if any, it has on gun laws. Another example of a congressional gridlock is the lengthy wait for

Congressional term limits have been what restricted the amount of time that anyone can work in office whether it be to a representative, senator, or even the president. People have debated over keeping or losing the term limits, since each come with their own benefits and faults at the same time. In the argument for term limits, some may argue that they are necessary because, “Congress will be more responsible toward their constituents because they will soon be constituents themselves” (Weeks). The validity in this statement proves to be one of the strongest arguments because the creation of laws is mean to serve all people, and if the people in office had complete immunity, it would serve unfair and unjust to the rest of society. For this reason, it always will make those in office consider how impactful and

In recent years, the U.S. Senate has been embroiled in a countless number of filibusters

Divided government occurs when one political party controls the presidency and another controls one or both houses of Congress. The struggle between parties can create significant issues for the government, including the appointment of judges and high officials and the creation of effective problem-solving legislation.

Despite the theory that Congress is a government “Of the People, By the People, For the People,” the legislative body features only a select few individuals, most of whom reign from upper levels of society. The Constitution prescribes limited barriers to becoming a Congressional representative based on age, citizenship, and residency. Because the Senate is unofficially the upper house of the two coequal houses of Congress, Constitutional restrictions for Senate candidates are higher than those of House candidates.

The definition of law is a system of rules that a community or country set to regulate the people apart of it. To make a law, the first step is to create a bill. A bill is proposal for a new law. Once the bill is created, it must make its way through congress. There are two stages for the bill to go through. The first one is called a committee consideration. In this stage, the bill is sent to a standing committee based on the subject unless it must do with taxes, then it would go to the house ways and means committee. If the bill does not get forgotten about, hearings get set up for government officials, lobbyists, and experts to share their opinions. After this is done, the bill goes on to stage two.

The act of influencing legislation in government is called “lobbying”. The right to lobby is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. It states “Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people to petition the government for a redress of grievances” (APUS, n.d). Besides, this is considered to be part of the Freedom of Assembly and Petition Clause in the First Amendment. This essay will discuss the impact of lobbyist on legislation in Washington, DC and the amount of dollars spent to influence federal policies.

Correct The part of Congress where each state is represented by two members for a total of 100 people who serve six-year terms.

My perception of Senator Speier’s congressional performance is optimistic and confident. Speier introduced 26 bills and resolutions in the 113th Congress, six of the bills and resolutions were a companion bill in

They work hard to pass laws and bills. Many of these laws and bills help to better the lives of the people, but most of these laws and bills are likely unknown to the people. Congress also helps with things like roads, highways, and transportation. Recently, DOT, the Department of Transportation, signed an agreement for a light-rail line to be built in Maryland. It will improve transportation between traffic-congested areas. Hamilton also talks about many members of congress who have done notable things, for example, ‘“Representative Edith Green of Oregon, often called the “mother of higher education,” whose Higher Education Act of 1965 created the federal student aid program, which has helped millions of undergraduates over the years”’ (Hamilton, 40). He also talks about, “Representatives Hale Boggs of Louisiana and George Fallon of Maryland, who shaped the 1956 Federal Interstate Highway Act, which has had an enormous impact on almost every facet of American life” (Hamilton, 40). Many people complain of a “do-nothing” Congress, yet many acts, laws, and bills go unnoticed by

Even though both chambers of congress work together to create laws that hold our society together, there are many differences

The Citizens United Ruling made by Supreme Court in 2010 only made the issue of money ruling the elections worse. Its main effects, stated in the video, “paved the way” for big corporations or unions to spend as much money as they feel necessary in elections and the political process. They can utilize this rule through advertisements, messages, and many different ways of communication to potential and up and coming voters. It changed the way campaigns were carried out by not only putting a bigger emphasis on the political spending from candidates and outside organizations, but also in a sense demerits the aspect of democracy, with having the amount money spent on a campaign be noticed more than the voices of the people. Voting does not really represent the country, but rather, represents the rich and powerful of the country.

Specific Purpose: To inform the audience about the lack of participation of college students in elections.