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Functions of Congress
By: Waleed Chaudhry and James Tolan
1. # Lawmaking – the most important and obvious function of Congress. No other federal institution can pass laws.
2. # Service to constituents (the people the member of Congress represents)– case work, helping citizens who have problems with the federal government.
3. # epresentation: speaking for constituents 1. Trustee – using personal judgment to make decisions that he or she believes are in the best interests of constituents. 2. Instructed Delegate – following the desires of constituents. It assumes that constituents actually have well informed views on the issue, 3. Politico – Combining both views in the interests of pragmatism.
4. # Oversight Function: The need for Congressional Oversight has expanded as the Power of the Executive Branch expanded 1. Congressional Hearings 2. Reports - reliance on staff to research and report 3. Important but not flashy - making sure the law is followed and problems are corrected. 4. Can be misused for partisan political purposes
5. Public Education Function: found in carrying out other functions. Helps to set the political agenda especially by effective use of the media.
6. Conflict Resolution: Very much ties in with the pluralist view of democracy, competing interests coming together to compromise in making policy.
