American Government Reflections

Chapter 5: Role and Powers of Congress

Role of Congress
The role of the legislative branch is to make the nation's laws. Though some decisions are
relatively easy for Congress members to make others require more thought. Additionally, there
are several factors that contribute to the Congress's decisions. Personal beliefs can greatly
influence what they believe is promoting the public good and those beliefs may differ from the
voter back home. I believe that the Congress members should make it one of their top priorities
to separate their personal beliefs from the wants of the people. Thought they should still have a
vote in the decisions, they should primarily think about their constituents. Congress members
must also consider interest groups, political action committees, and political party groups that
give support to candidates and suggest legislation to Congress members. Another aspect that
Congress oversees is the performance of government agencies by conducting investigations of
agency actions and programs. I greatly support the investigations as it exposes abuses of systems
and scandals which allow for a review of the programs and the workings of the system to
improve it. Members also respond to requests, however, I believe that requests should be
responded to in order of importance and if there are several similar requests then they should be
looked into to determine if a law is having an unintended effect.
Houses and Members of Congress
The House of Representatives is based upon the population of each state to determine the
number of representatives for each state. However, due to an increase in population size and
limited space, the House has had to restrict its members to 435 members. To make sure that the
House was still based upon state population, Congress used a process of apportion. This allows
states with more growth to acquire more seats and others states with little to no population
growth to lose seats. I believe that this is necessary as the House can only support so many
members. If the House continued to grow with the population, it would be too difficult to
manage. Additionally, one person only gets one vote principle is in effect so that districts with
grossly unequal populations are more equal. House members serve for two years, must be at least
25 years old, and must be legal residents of the state they represent. They are elected every two
years. Senators, on the other hand, serve for six years, must be at least 30 years old, and be legal
residents of the state they represent. One third is elected every two years in a rotational system. I
agree that this benefits the Senate as the Senate always has experience members. Also, the Senate
is limited to two representatives per state. Additionally, many members of Congress do not
represent the minorities in the population. I believe that Congress should try to have an equal
representation of minorities to accurately depict the population of the U.S. and their interests.
The House and Senate members are given the same salaries and benefits. One of these
benefits is immunity or legal protection. This means that they cannot be arrested for anything
said while performing congressional business and may not be arrested in or on their way to a
Congress meeting unless accused of a serious crime. I think that while this provides security
from unnecessary prevention from performing their duties, it also means that they can escape the
consequences of minor crimes and possibly abuse their immunity.
Powers of Congress
The powers of Congress are outlined in the Constitution with the Elastic Clause that states
that Congress has the power to make laws that are necessary for the execution of the powers

outlined. This gives Congress more flexibility within the Constitution to adapt to the changing
times. I believe that flexibility within a system of government is necessary for the government to
serve its people and remain relevant to society. In addition to these powers, Congress also has the
power to impeach government officials. Any important official that are found guilty of serious
crimes can be removed from office. Charges are drawn up in the House and trials for
impeachment are held in the Senate with the vice president acting as judge except in the
impeachment of a president. I believe this ensures that the presidents do not abuse their powers
and always work for the public good and not personal interests. Other powers that Congress
holds are the power to ratify treaties, approve appointments, and deciding elections. However,
the powers of Congress must be limited so that it does not reach beyond the powers granted to it.
I believe that the powers of Congress need to be limited so that it cannot pass unconstitutional
laws and hinder the promotion of the public good.