Congress Essay -- essays research papers

There is a definite need for Congress in the United States. It serves many roles such as making laws, implementing national policy and watching over the other two branches of government. These are just a few of the duties of our U.S. Congress. Although they are essential to our government, there are potential problems. People are not always satisfied with the length of time involved in passing a law as well as the deadlock Congress can experience on an issue. Another potential problem people see with Congress is representation. Not all Americans feel that they are equally represented. The Congress of the United States is viewed by many as the largest branch in government. Some people might even say it is the most important. This is due to the roles Congress pays in our government. Congress is responsible for the lawmaking in our country as well as implementing national policy. The power to make laws was given to Congress by our forefathers when they constructed our constitution. Passing laws is very important to our country because without them we would be living in chaos. Of course, all our laws are not perfect but for the most part our Congress does a good job at keeping this country under control. The problems with lawmaking that most people see is the time involved in getting a law passed. In order for a bill to become a law it must first be introduced to the House or Senate, or both, then referred to a committee. This can be a very time consuming process. Anyone interested in having a law passed must realize the process involved and be patient. In addition to lawmaking Congress is also involved in passing amendments. Our nation has been able to grow and strengthen due to the amendment process. In order for our government to keep up with the changing times it is crucial that we make adjustments to the constitution. The downfall is that the amendments passed have not always kept up with changing times. Arguments against Congress would be that they taken to long in enforcing the amendments. The U.S. Congress must also implement national policy. The Congress must regulate commerce in order to create a prosperous economy. It is up to Congress to monitor the growth of the economy and be ready to act if necessary. Congress has the power to implement monetary policy in which they decrease taxes to induce spending during a slow econo... ... half the nations population are women, but the 102nd Congress had only thirty one women members. In addition, our nation is made up of mostly blue collared workers, yet the most predominant occupation of Congress members are lawyers. With this in mind the Congress must strive to understand and represent the needs of the people. Congress cannot ignore the disadvantage groups that feel unrepresented in the system. Until the enactment of Medicare in 1965, Congress declined to pass health care legislation for the elderly. There will always be people for and people against any branch in government. The reason being, government is not perfect, nor are the people who run it. Laws take time to create and policies take time to be implemented. You cannot deny the fact that regardless of the time involved these procedures are a major and necessary step. Over all Congress does a good job with the roles and duties it is given. When it comes to representation, the vote lies in our hands. We have the power to vote for who we want to represent us. We can make a difference if we get involved in electing those who share the same ideas of the people to make us a better a better nation.