Why Is Congress Created

AP Government Chapter 12 Notes: The Congress * Members of the public hold the institution in relatively low regard while expressing satisfaction with their individual representatives. * If the Federal bureaucracy makes a mistake, the senator’s or representative’s office tries to resolve the issue. What most Americans see of Congress, therefore, is the work of their own representatives in their home states. * Why Was Congress Created? * Congress was created to work not just for local constituents but also for the nation as a whole. * The Founders of the American republic believed that the bulk of the power that would be exercised by a national government should be in the hands of the legislature. * The leading
* They wished to balance the interests and the numerical superiority of the common citizens with the property interests of the less numerous landowners, bankers, and merchants. * This goal was achieved by providing in Sections 2 and 3 of Article I that members of the House of Representatives should be elected directly by “the people,” whereas members of the Senate were to be chosen by the elected representatives sitting in the state legislatures, who were more likely to be members of the elite. * With the passage of the 17th amendment in 1913, the Senators are also to be elected directly by the people. * The logic of separate constituencies and separate interests underlying the bicameral Congress was reinforced by differences in length of tenure. * Members of the House of Representatives are required to face the electorate every two years. * Senators could serve for a much more secure term of six years – even longer than the four-year term provided for the
* House office staffs typically are about half as large as those of the Senate. * Congress also benefits from the expertise of the professional staffs of agencies that were created to produce information for members of the House and Senate. * The Congressional Research Service (CRS) a section of the Library of Congress, furnishes a computer-based record of the contents and current legislative status of major bills that are under consideration. * The General Accounting Office (GAO) audits spending by federal agencies, investigates agency practices, and makes policy recommendations to Congress, especially concerning the financial activities of the government. * The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) advises Congress on the anticipated effect on the economy of government expenditures and estimates the cost of proposed policies. * Privileges and Immunities under the