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Congress's Role In The Legislative Process

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Congress was intended to be the institution to which people looked for guidance on policy leadership. This was true for most of the 19th century. However, the president now works as the central role in the legislative process, this is because greater policy demands took place. This means that both Congress and the president work in the legislative process, (Patterson, 355). Although congress plays a big role on national policy issues, the institution does not always lead. The reason for this is due to Congress’s structure. Congress is made up of the House, and the Senate. Both houses have their own authority and constituency base. It is important to note that Congress is structured in such a way that slows down the legislation process. A reason for this is because neither the House nor the Senate can enact legislation without the other’s approval. Both houses can be controlled by opposite parties therefore, making it difficult for an agreement between the two chambers. For example, if the White House presents a proposal the opposing party can reject the proposal, (Patterson, 356). “President Obama’s major legislative initiatives were pronounced “dead on arrival” when they reached Congress. Republicans …show more content…

The president is assisted by hundreds of policy specialist’s, people whose expertise is trained for complex legislative initiatives. The president is supported directly and through executive agencies. Congress on the other hand has a small bureaucracy in comparison to the president. The three agencies that make up Congress’s bureaucracy include, Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office, and Congressional Research service. All of these agencies are helpful, but in comparison to the level of expertise that the president is provided with when facing complex legislative initiatives, is much greater than that of Congress, (Patterson,

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