Problems in American Democracy Part 83

QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT

1. Distinguish between the two regular sessions of Congress.

2. Describe the internal organization of the houses of Congress.

3. Name and briefly characterize the chief officers of Congress.

4. What are the customary duties of the Speaker of the House?

5. By what means does the Speaker influence legislation?

6. What is the nature and function of the committee on rules? What changes in the character of this committee occurred in 1910?

7. Outline the organization of the Congressional committee system.

8. How may a bill be introduced into the House of Representatives?

9. Outline the steps in enacting a Federal law.

10. Discuss the nature and limits of the Presidential veto.

REQUIRED READINGS

1. Beard, _American Government and Politics_, chapter xiv.

2. Guitteau, _Government and Politics in the United States_, chapter xxiv.

3. Munro, _The Government of the United States_, chapter xxi.

4. Reed, _Form and Functions of American Government_, chapter xii.

QUESTIONS ON THE REQUIRED READINGS

1. What is the relation of party organization to leadership in Congress? (Beard, pages 267-269.)

2. Discuss the const.i.tutional rights of the minority in the House of Representatives. (Beard, pages 288-289.)

3. What is the influence of the Senate upon our national financial policy? (Munro, pages 307-308.)

4. What are the chief advantages of the committee system? (Guitteau, pages 275-276.)

5. What are the chief defects of this system? (Guitteau, pages 275- 276.)

6. What effect has the practice of unlimited debate in the Senate had upon legislative business? (Beard, pages 275-276.)

7. What is one of the most important defects of Congressional legislation? (Munro, pages 310-311.)

8. What is the "morning hour"? (Reed, page 273.)

9. What is done with a bill which the President has signed? (Reed, page 277.)

10. To what extent is Congress responsive to Public Opinion? (Munro, page 299.)

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND REPORT

I

1. Compare the internal organization of Congress with the organization of your state legislature.

2. Compare the officers of Congress with the officers of your state legislature.

3. Compare the committee system of Congress with the committee system in your state legislature.

4. Compare the practice of debate in the National House of Representatives with the use of debate in the lower house of your state legislature.

5. Compare Congress with your state legislature with respect to volume of legislation.

6. The business of Congress. (McCall, _The Business of Congress_.)

7. Rules of the Senate. (_Manual of the Senate_.)

8. The Senate at work. (Bryce, _The American Commonwealth_, vol. i, chapter xii.)

9. Rules of the House of Representatives. (_Manual of the House of Representatives_.)

10. The Speaker of the House. (Follett, _The Speaker of the House of Representatives_.)

11. Leadership in the House. (Beard, _American Government and Politics_, pages 280-286.)

12. The career of Speaker Clay, Blaine, Reed, or Cannon. (Consult an encyclopedia, or special biographies of these Speakers.)

13. The House of Representatives at work. (Bryce, _The American Commonwealth_, vol. i, chapter xiv.)

14. Congressional finance. (Bryce, _The American Commonwealth_, vol.

i, chapter xvii.)

15. The committee system in Congress. (Bryce, _The American Commonwealth_, vol. i, chapter xv; McCall, _The Business of Congress_, chapters in and v.)

16. An Englishman's view of legislation in the Congress of the United States. (Bryce, _The American Commonwealth_, vol. i, chapter xvi.)

FOR CLa.s.sROOM DISCUSSION

17. Should the Speaker of the House be deprived of the power to refer bills to whatever committee he chooses?