LOL some have no clue how their own government works. Take a civics class. They're are 2 houses of congress a bill must pass and the president must sign it. He's not a dictator. No point to even go on, I'm not going to teach a class.
if you don't know congress holds all the power, You might want to read article one of the constition.
Here I will make it easy for you. I guess I will teach a class.
~~~~Article I of the Constitution states "all legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of representatives." The House and Senate are equal partners in the legislative process legislation (laws or Bills) cannot be enacted without the consent of both chambers. However, the Constitution grants each chamber some unique powers. The Senate ratifies treaties and approves presidential appointments (Presidential picks for Judge's and other important positions) while the House initiates revenue-raising bills ( The power to Tax). The House initiates impeachment cases, while the Senate decides impeachment cases ( So senate has final word on the impeachment or the Removal of a Politician/person). A two-thirds vote of the Senate is required before an impeached person can be forcibly removed from office.
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The congress is made up of two houses or two bodies, the House and the Senate. Together they have 535 members. The house has 435 members, the Senate Has 100 members.
~~~~~~This does not the include your state congress or representatives, this is just national. I will focus on local soon.
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=======The House==========
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--- 435 Members represent the house.
--- The number of House members a state gets is decided by
the population of that state.
--- The number of citizens per congressional district is a average of 700,000 as of 2008.
---The lines of the Congressional district are usually drawn by the state legislator or by 3rd party ( not usual). This is why you should get to know your local state representatives. The congressional district lines are all drawn with in the state lines. So if you have 8 Congressman from a state, you have to draw out 8 congressional districts in that state.
--- The speaker of the house is decided by the party with the
most members in congress. for instance, the House has 433 members 2 are vacant, Right now the Republicans have 232 seats, in which 17 are vulnerable ( Side note for those paying attention), however the Democrats have 200 House members even though Democrats out voted republicans by 1.4 million votes. I will leave a video up of gerrymandering below and why we should have 3rd parties drawing up the congressional district lines, Like California.
--- Bills or laws must pass with 50% Majority, that's why they say, " The worst day in the majority is the best day in the minority.
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==========The Senate==========
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----- The Senate is made up of 100 members and is more unrepresentative.
---- Each state gets 2 Senators, no matter the population of that state. For Instance California has around 38,000,000 people. Wyoming has a population of 576,412, Both get only 2 Senators.
---- The Senate as it stands has 52 Democrats, 46 Republicans, 2 Independent ( Who Caucus with the Democrats or chamber with).
---- In order to get something to pass you need over 50% Vote majority, however in the Senate you have the Filibuster rule. So if the minority party wants (Republicans), They can Filibuster a bill that has passed if it doesn't have a 60% vote majority. The filibuster was not used that widely until recently, The Republicans blocked a big portion of great laws and bills passed in Obama's First 2 years. Even though he had a majority in the house and senate. The Minority can shut the government down, as you have seen. The founders wanted our government to work very slow, so ideas can be debated but I don't think they never intended for the filibuster to be used the way it has.
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=======Passing Bills or laws========
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~~~A bill may start off in the House or the Senate however any bill must pass both house's of congress (House & Senate) and then signed by the president to become law. However the president can Veto the law or bill.
~~~~If this happens, The law gets sent back to the congress. If the congress wants to over ride the Presidential veto, they need two thirds vote or 66% vote pass in both house's to over ride a presidential veto.
~~~~So you can see how one party can make it almost impossible to get a bill past. The filibuster in the Senate makes it that much more difficult. So really when something doesn't get done. It really is Congress that is making it difficult. So when someone always blames the President, In reality it's usually the congress. Unless the President has a 60% majority in the Senate and 51% majority in the house, then the President can be blamed for passing horrible laws if He/She is passing them or proposing bad legislation.(Looks at Bush)
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====The Powers of Congress (constitution)===
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(((((Article 1: Section 7 (bills))))))))
-----"All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills."-------
-------Meaning a law or bill for raising or lowering taxes, must start and pass the House of Representatives first, then Move onto the Senate. However the Senate can propose a Law or bill, in which the house can vote on but has to do it first. ------
((((((Article 1: Section 8 (Powers of the congress))))))
~~~~~ " The Congress shall have power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; " ---------------
~~~~~~This the first paragraph of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. This shows that the Congress holds a lot of the power. They are the only branch of government allowed to Tax, pay our debts, provide protection, and help out the poor. So when the debt limit is not being raised, the congress is actually not paying what they said they would already pay for. There for I think it is unconstitutional but that is another discussion.
(((((((The Rest of Article 1: Section 8 )))))))))))))))
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;—And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer there of.
