The Congress and Its Role in U.S. Government
The Congress is the “bicameral assembly of the United States federal government,” with two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is necessary to remember that the two chambers are joint partners in the democratic process; that is, no legislation can be passed until both chambers consent. The American democracy is pluralist, which means that many political parties have control over the legislature. In such a scenario, the procedural and systemic features of Congress will either hinder or help the interest groups. In this paper, I argue that these characteristics support the pluralist ideal through the sharing of similar ideals and re-election while impeding pluralist ideal through the influence of political parties and different compensation levels.
Institutional Characteristics of Congress
The institutional characteristics of Congress are found in Article One of the Constitution (Congress). These institutional characteristics include terms of office, qualifications for office, constituencies, enumerated powers, institutional leadership, and privileges and immunity, all contained in Article 1. Of greater interest is that each chamber has unique powers; the house is in charge of revenue bills while the Senate confirms presidential appointments, ratifies treaties, and decides impeachment cases ("The House Explained.House.Gov"). On the other hand, the structural characteristics of Congress refer to those elements that evolved after the ratification (Congress), and they deal with the setup and the responsibilities of the Congress. They include styles of leadership, leadership structures, party caucuses, and unique procedures. Of greater importance is the legislative process which explains how a bill becomes law ("The Legislative Process · House.Gov") and herein lies the pluralist ideal interests.
The Pluralist Ideal and Its Impact on Democracy
The pluralist ideal interprets that democracy refers to “government by the people” meaning that the government operates through competing interest groups. The idea is that there are many organizations separate from the government and they seek to press their interests to the extent of challenging the government. Therefore, democracy changes are as a result of pressure from organized groups rather than mass public opinion. Such interests groups include unions, professional associations, civil rights activists, and business lobbies who seek to influence policy-making and administration. A decentralized form of government is crucial for the pluralist ideal because it means that these groups have the openness to present and argue their claims government (Bardes, Shelley, & Schmidt).
Institutional and Structural Support for the Pluralist Ideal
As pointed out earlier, Congress is made up of House Representatives and Senators who are elected by ordinary people. People are influenced by factors such as political socialization, religion, education and therefore, they seek to elect individuals who share the same values. If the elected individuals have a diverse range of values and norms, the legislation they pass will intend to cater for a larger section of the people. In such a situation, the competing groups have an opportunity to initiate discussions on the U.S domestic policy and get support from the two chambers. The effect is supporting the pluralist ideal by ensuring that the various needs of the interest groups are met. For instance, in a situation where most of the members of the committees share ideas with the pluralists ("Committees · House.gov"), the legislation might be in favor of these self-interest groups. Terms of office is an institutional characteristic, and in this case, the house representative’s term is two years. In such a case, these individuals are aware that after every two years, they will seek re-election from the respective constituencies. Having that thought in mind, a representative will seek to support interests groups who are fighting for the rights of the people in his or her state. For instance, if there is a bill to increase retirement benefits, a representative or senator facing re-election will offer his or her support with a renewal of the term of office in mind. The Senate plays the role of amending and changing the laws passed by the House (Bardes et al.). In such a situation, individuals will vote depending on public opinion, their feelings, and what the political party wants. However, if such a law is close to the electioneering period, congress members will go with public opinion.
Institutional and Structural Factors That Impede the Pluralist Ideal
The structural characteristics such as the makeup of the Congress regarding race, sex, education, and socioeconomic interests can significantly impede the interests of the pluralist ideals. In this case, most of the congress members are white and earn a higher compensation than most Americans. On the other hand, some interests groups seek for greater income equality and most of the revenues bills in taxes aim to widen the inequality gap. For instance, revenue bills such as taxes hurt the poor more compared to the elite and the Congress members might not feel the impact of the various bills they pass. Also, they might resist allocating more funding to public education because they do not see it as a necessity. Such an action would be in direct conflict with the efforts of interest groups that seek to improve the public education system. The members of Congress might face pressure from their political party or committees to vote against legislation. For instance, they will ignore the interests of particular groups in their home states to avoid conflicting with the political party stance. For example, a member might support an increase in social program spending fought for by unions. However, if the party decides that such a bill should be rejected, members will have to abide by the rule. In such a situation, the institutional complexities have made the Congress impede the efforts of interest groups. Other examples include the conflict between parties where the sole aim is to have the upper hand in terms of seniority and in such a case, all pluralist ideals are set aside for a contest between the congress members. In conclusion, the institutional and structural characteristics of the Congress have an effect on the American pluralist ideals. It is crucial that when the citizens are electing the Congress, they should vote for individuals who have the same set of values and ideals. In such a situation, the interest groups will have an easier time as they aim to influence the passing of laws and the administration of policies.
Works Cited
Bardes, Barbara, Mack Shelley, and Steffen Schmidt. American Government and Politics Today: The Essentials 2015-2016 Edition. Cengage Learning, 2008
“Committees · House.Gov.” House.Gov, 2017, http://www.house.gov/committees/.
“Congress.” Youtube, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU0sgvumBmw.
“The House Explained · House.Gov.” House.Gov, 2017, http://www.house.gov/content/learn/.
“The Legislative Process · House.Gov.” House.Gov, 2017, http://www.house.gov/content/learn/legislative_process/
