Congress

Congress

Congress

The Congress of the United States has its origins in the First Continental Congress, a gathering of representatives from twelve of the thirteen British Colonies in North America, which two years subsequent announced independence. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress taken up the Declaration of Independence, mentioning to the new territory as the "United States of America".

Under the Articles of Confederation, which came into result in 1781, the Congress of the Confederation was a unicameral body with identical representation amidst the states in which each state had a veto over most decisions. With no boss or judicial agency, and negligible administration granted to the Congress, this government was feeble in evaluation to the states. The Congress of the Confederation had administration over foreign activities and infantry affairs, but not to assemble levies, regulate interstate business, or enforce laws. States stayed sovereign, and were therefore free to disregard any legislation passed by Congress. This scheme of government directed to financial problems and arguments amidst the states.

The ineffectiveness of the government under the Articles of Confederation directed the Congress to summon the Convention of 1787. Originally proposed to modify the Articles of Confederation, it rather than composed an absolutely new constitution. Virginia delegate James Madison called for a bicameral Congress in his Virginia Plan: the smaller dwelling voted into agency exactly by the persons, and the top dwelling voted into agency by the smaller house. The lesser states, although, highly ranked a unicameral Congress with identical representation for all states; William Paterson contradicted Madison's suggestions with the New Jersey Plan. Eventually, a compromise was reached: the House of Representatives was to supply representation proportional by community, while the Senate would supply identical representation by states. To farther maintain the administration of the states, it was supplied that state legislatures, other than the persons, would vote into agency senators(Wilson, 1968)(Ritchie, 1977).

 

The Constitution provided more forces to the government, for example regulating interstate business, organizing foreign activities and the infantry, and setting up a nationwide currency. These were glimpsed as absolutely crucial for the achievement of the new territory and to determination the arguments that had was drawn from under the Articles of Confederation, but the states kept sovereignty over other affairs. To defend contrary to misuse of power at the government grade, the Constitution mandated parting of forces, with responsibilities split up amidst the boss, legislative, and judicial branches. Furthermore, the legislative body would be bicameral, so there would be tests and balances. The Constitution was approved by the end of 1788, and its full implementation was set for March 4, 1789(Joe, 2001)(Wilson, 1968)(Ritchie, 1977).

The post-Civil War Gilded Age was assessed by Republican dominance of the Congress. The Progressive Era glimpsed the Seventeenth Amendment, approved in 1913, which supplied for the direct election of senators. The early 20th 100 years seen the increase of powerful party authority in both dwellings of Congress. In the House of Representatives, the agency of speaker became exceedingly powerful. Leaders in the Senate were rather less powerful; ...