Congress Flashcards
(22 cards)
- Explain and analyse three roles of Congress
P – Passing legislation
E – As the legislative body of the USA, Congress has the task of making new federal laws. For a bill to become law both houses must approve it and then it is sent back to the president to sign, veto or leave it.
A – Decreasing significance due to hyperpolarised climate of US politics currently. The 118th Congress has been the least effective in history with bipartisanship in decline but essential for the approval of legislation
P – Representing the people
E – Members of Congress need to represent the interests of their Constituencies. Many members of Congress sit on committees that allow them to defend their state or district’s interests. Eg. From 2015-20 the Chair of the Senate Agricultural Committee was Pat Roberts, the Senator for the agricultural state of Kansas.
A – Overall, the high levels of re-election in Congress (around 90%) would suggest that members are doing a good job of advancing their interests. Also likely to be a result of few competitive electoral districts.
P – Overseeing the executive
E – Due to the separation of powers, an important role of Congress is to scrutinise and check the actions of the president and federal government. For example, they can override a presidential veto with a 2/3rds majority and the Senate can confirm presidential appointments to the Supreme Court.
A – More effective in times of divided government
- Explain and analyse three powers of Congress.
P – Legislative powers and amendment of the constitution
E – All bills must be approved by both Houses before being sent to the President to be signed, vetoed or “left on the desk”. To amend the Constitution you need a 2/3rds majority in both Houses before being sent to the states.
A – Decreasing significant due to increasingly partisan nature of US Politics and the reduction in bipartisanship which is required for law making (especially in a divided government as it forces co-operating between chambers belonging to different parties) and amending the Constitution.
P – Overseeing the executive branch
E – For example, they vote on the budget for all the federal departments, have committees that scrutinise the executive and they can override a presidential veto with a 2/3rds majority in both Houses. 12 of Bush’s vetoes were overridden.
A – Less effective in times of united government or when the president has a strong electoral mandate.
P – Impeachment
E – House can formally accuse and charge someone and the Senate holds a trial to find them guilty or not. Senate requires 2/3rds for a guilty verdict.
A - Has never found anyone guilty but still an effective check. Nixon resigned in 1974 due to threat of impeachment after Watergate scandal
- Explain and analyse three reasons why Congress has been criticised for not reflecting US society
P – Overrepresents Christians
E – In the 188th Congress there was only 1 (0.2%) atheist despite 23% population identifying as atheist. 88% members are Christian versus around 65% of the population.
A – Not reflective of the religious population of the US.
P – Underrepresents women
E –2025 151 women out of 535. Significant as men are legislating on issues that affect women without understanding the issues. For example, existing research suggests women are more likely to legislate on gender inequality, reproductive health and family issues.
A – Would benefit from including a more diverse range of views to ensure the legislation priorities of females are also taken into consideration.
P – Race
E – In the 188th Congress 75% were white Americans but only 59% population
A – Whilst this number is growing and is the most racially diverse in history, it is still not representative of the non-white historic population on the US. Thus it does not have the diverse range of experiences that come with representation.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which Congress does perform its legislative functions effectively.
P – Committees ensure the legislative process is rigorous and can alter policy being introduced by the president
E- For example, standing committees review all bills in their specialist area. They have huge staff who develop knowledge and policy specialisation which balances that of the executive branch. They can pigeonhole, amend or block the bill
A – Actually hinders the democratic nature of the legislative process as committees can pigeonhole legislation passed by the wider body.
P – Only passes legislation that is necessary and desired by a democratic majority
E – Large number of bills pigeonholed suggests Congress is effective in tackling only essential bill and ensures limited government as set out by the founding fathers.
A – Usually only 5% bills passed leading congress to be called the “broken branch”.
P – Even during times of hyper partisanship, legislation can still be passed.
E – Came together for the first step act 2018. They can also pass emergency legislation such as the CARES Act in response the COVID-19 pandemic. Suggests bipartisanship is not over. Further, the Inflation Reduction Act 2022 showed cross-party compromise and negotiation. Biden initially wanted a much larger amount but Republicans and a few moderate democrats forced him to lower his sights, so they met at $900 million .
A – Rare and decreasing in frequency. However, 118th Congress (2023-25) most unproductive since the 1980S.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which Congress does not perform its legislative functions effectively.
P – Obstacles in passing legislation
E – The use of the filibuster allows individual senators to “kill off” legislation by talking at length to prevent the Senate voting on a bill.
A – There is a process to combat this known as a cloture however it is difficult to invoke Senate needs to vote 3/5ths to end the filibuster. 118th Congress (2023-25) most unproductive since the 1980S.
P – Gridlock
E – Occurs when Congress is unable to pass laws effectively. Divided government makes it more likely. Can lead to shutdowns that are disruptive, unpopular and expensive. In 2018 under Trump there was a 35-day shutdown.
A – Arguably shutdown and gridlock motivates the president to compromise but in reality just disrupts the legislative process
P – Of the bills that do pass, they are not hugely influential.
E – Only 2-3% of all bills become laws with most not producing substantial change. In the 155th Congress, Congress passed 442 bills, 1/3rd of which were ceremonial.
A – Not a decreasing problem, the 118th congress one of the least productive in history.
- Explain and analyse three in which Congress uses the power of the purse effectively. p314-315 and your notes
P – Powerful check on the executive
P – The executive may make concessions to avoid a government shutdown
P – Government shutdowns are rare.
the government has shut down 10 times in response to funding gaps
- Explain and analyse three ways in which Congress does fulfil its oversight functions effectively.
P – Investigating the executive
E – Threat of investigation by Committees should motivate the executive to ensure its actions are legal and able to withstand media scrutiny. Government officials may be called to account on a televised meeting. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) supports Congress to investigate and audit the executive.
A – GAO funding cut by 45% between 1975-2015.
P – Confirmation of nominees
E – Senate Confirmation is needed for presidential appointments including Supreme Court Justices. Encourages presidents to choose high quality individuals.
A – Politicised meaning underqualified nominees may be selected and that Senate can block candidates for partisan reasons. In 2016, Republican senators refused to hold hearings for Obamas nomination Merrick Garland.
P – Impeachment
E – Congress can impeach and try the president for “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanours”. This should motivate the president to act lawfully. It can be an effective threat – Nixon resigned in 1974.
A – Has never led to the conviction and removal of a sitting president. Not effective deterrent. Trumps popularity within the US public reached 49% after his impeachment, the highest during his presidency
- Explain and analyse three ways in which Congress does not fulfil its oversight functions effectively.
P – Effectiveness of oversight dependent on Political Context
E – Oversight is generally weaker during periods of united government as Congress is dominated by members of the Presidents own party giving them little incentive to investigate the executive. Additionally, presidents who have a strong electoral mandate may face less opposition from Congress.
A – Not effective in its oversight role in periods of united government due to party loyalty and allegiance
P – Senate ratification of treaties not a significant way to check the executive
E – Although Senate can ratify treaties that the president negotiates in theory forcing the president to work closely with the Senate, this is not true in practice. The president can use their direct authority as chief executive to make executive agreements with other countries avoiding the need for a formal treaty.
A – Oversight weak as their scrutiny can be avoided. Hasn’t been used since the 1940s.
P – Impeachment not a significant way to check the executive
E- Although impeachment should act as an incentive to encourage presidents to follow the law, impeachment has never led to the conviction and removal from office of a sitting president. After Trumps impeachment his popularity was 49%, the highest at any point of his presidency.
A – Still an effective threat. Nixon 1974 and Clinton’s reputation never fully recovered despite his acquittal
P – Presidential vetoes are rarely overturned because 2/3rds majority in each chamber is needed.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which Congress can check the executive branch. p312-314 and your notes
P – Confirming nominees
E – Senate Confirmation is needed for presidential appointments including Supreme Court Justices. This encourages presidents to nominate high-quality individuals.
A – However, a president whose party controls the Senate generally has their nominees confirmed, even if they seem unsuitable or are controversial. For example, Trumps education secretary DeVos displayed a lack of basic education knowledge during her confirmation hearing but only 2 Republicans voted against her appointment.
P – Ratifying treaties
E – The president negotiates treaties but the Senate ratifies them, forcing the president to work closely with them. One important treaty Congress rejected was the Treaty Of Versailles (1920) which started the Period of isolationism in the US.
A – However, recent Presidents have used their direct authority to make executive agreements with other countries, avoiding the need for a formal treaty.
P – Impeachment
E – Congress can try the president for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours”. The role of the Senate is to try the accused. The threat of impeachment prompted Nixon to resign in 1974. Congress can also impeach other government officials so it should motivate all members of the executive to follow the law.
A – However, an impeachment has never led to the conviction and removal from office of a sitting president. Not effective in practice
- Explain and analyse three ways in which the committee system works within Congress. p319-321 and your notes.
P – Standing Committees
E – Permanent and focus on a specific area of policy. 20 House and 16 Senate standing committees. Represented in the same proportions as parties in the House or Senate. They are responsible for holding hearings during the committee stages of bills and vote on whether bills should proceed. They also have hearings to consider a nominee’s suitability
A – Therefore, standing committees are important in fulfilling both the scrutiny and the legislative functions of congress.
P – Select Committees
E – Set up to deal with a specific urgent issue. Generally, do not work on legislation, only the investigation of their specific issue. They have the power to carry out high-profile and detailed hearings in the public interest. For example, a select committee on the aftermath of the attacks on The World Trade Centre on September 11th 2001.
A – Significant as they can investigate an issue that would come under many different committees.
P – Conference committees
E – Temporary committees set up to consider a specific bill. Occur when the House and Senate have passed different versions of the same bill. If they successfully merge the two bills into one it becomes known as a “conference report”.
A – Decrease in regularity due to increased partisanship due to political polarization.
- Explain and analyse ways in which the party system operates within Congress. p316-319 and your notes.
P – Congressional Caucuses
E – Members of caucuses work together to achieve similar legislative aims and interest is often ideological. For example, the congressional progressive Caucus is the most liberal and progressive caucus in the Democratic party with 98 members in 2020. They promote economic security and justice, energy independence and environmental protection.
A – Way for party members to come together and achieve legislation that otherwise might not go through. The progressive caucus was integral in Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act.
P – Party leadership
E – Members of each party caucus elect a majority/minority leader. The leaders plan the legislative agenda and co-ordinate their party for votes and debates. The speaker of the House belongs to the majority party and they control the agenda and choose committee members.
A – Significant as House leader has considerable power. Third only to the President and vice president.
P – Party discipline
E – Whips organise members to vote as directed by leadership. A way of convincing Congressmen to remain united is to threaten them with withdrawal of party support.
A - The whip is weaker than in the UK system; American politicians have considerably more freedom to diverge from the party line as their ability to enforce party unity is limited.
- Explain and analyse three roles performed by Congressional Committees (319-321)
P – Confirmation of executive appointments
E - Senate standing committees - Hearings are held to consider the nominee’s suitability. This is followed by a committee vote, which is a recommendation to the rest of the Senate on whether to confirm the appointment. The committee can even influence whether a nominee is considered by the Senate. Merrick Garland was nominated by Obama for the Supreme Court in 2016, but the Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee supported Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell’s refusal to hold hearings on the appointment
P – Oversight of the executive
E - Select committees carry out high-profile and detailed hearings in the public interest. The possibility of congressional investigation creates a powerful incentive for the executive to ensure its actions stand up to scrutiny. The House Select Committee on Benghazi (2014–16) was set up to investigate the 2012 terrorist attack on the US embassy in Benghazi, Libya, in which the US ambassador to Libya was killed. The committee interviewed more than 100 witnesses and spent 2 years and $7 million investigating the attack. The committee made headlines when it questioned former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for 11 hours in 2015.
A - Investigations can be politicised, which reduces their credibility. Clinton was the frontrunner for the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential nomination. The hostile tone taken by Republicans and their determination to keep asking questions on issues already covered in detail appeared to be an attempt to score political points.
P – Review legislation
E – Conference committees. These are temporary committees set up to consider a specific bill. This occurs when the House and the Senate have each passed different versions of the same bill. Members from the relevant standing committee from each house sit together in a conference committee, where they consider the two versions of the bill and merge them into one combined bill, known as a conference report. This final version of the bill is sent back to both houses to be approved by a vote. In the 104th Congress (1995–97) there were 67 conference reports, compared with just 1 in the 118th Congress (2023-25).
- Explain and analyse three ways in which members of Congress represent their constituents. p321-323 and your notes.
P – Committee membership
E - Many members of Congress sit on committees that allow them to defend their state or district’s interests. Eg. From 2015-20 the Chair of the Senate Agricultural Committee was Pat Roberts, the Senator for the agricultural state of Kansas.
A – Allows members to steer through bills that will benefit their constituents
P – Passing legislation
E- Members of Congress debate, amend and vote on legislation with their constituents in mind. They may follow a delegate model of representation where they vote according to the will of their constituents, the trustee model in which they vote according to what they think is in their constituent’s best interest or the mandate.
A – Fluctuates depending on the level of party control the president has in the congress. More control means may have to vote a certain way despite constituents’ needs.
P – Lobbying the executive
E – Can lobby the executive for funding or policies that will benefit their constituents. The government may allocate funding to states/districts to secure the support of Key members of Congress. This is known as “pork-barrelling”
A – Still effective despite legislation in 2011 aiming to limit it, in 2018/19 it was $15billion a year.
- Explain and analyse three roles of the House of Representatives. p323-324 and your notes.
P – Power of the Purse - Only the House can initiate money bills. In order to pass money bills both chambers must agree.
P – Power of impeachment - It has sole power of impeachment: it decides whether to charge an official with an offence.
P – Overriding a presidential veto - Congress can override a veto by passing the act by a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. Overrode President Donald Trump’s veto of a $741 billion defense policy bill, delivering a rare bipartisan rebuke in 2021.
P – Initiating constitutional amendments - an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate
- Explain and analyse three roles of the US Senate
P – Confirming nominees
E – Senate Confirmation is needed for presidential appointments including Supreme Court Justices. This encourages presidents to nominate high-quality individuals.
A – However, a president whose party controls the Senate generally has their nominees confirmed, even if they seem unsuitable or are controversial. For example, Trumps education secretary DeVos displayed a lack of basic education knowledge during her confirmation hearing but only 2 Republicans voted against her appointment.
P – Ratifying treaties
E – The president negotiates treaties but the Senate ratifies them, forcing the president to work closely with them. One important treaty Congress rejected was the Treaty Of Versailles (1920) which started the Period of isolationism in the US.
A – However, recent Presidents have used their direct authority to make executive agreements with other countries, avoiding the need for a formal treaty.
P – Impeachment
E – Congress can try the president for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours”. The role of the Senate is to try the accused. The threat of impeachment prompted Nixon to resign in 1974. Congress can also impeach other government officials so it should motivate all members of the executive to follow the law.
A – However, an impeachment has never led to the conviction and removal from office of a sitting president. Not effective in practice
- Explain and analyse three ways in which the Congress can be described as the broken branch of government
P – Passage of legislation reduced to a trickle
E - The use of the filibuster allows individual senators to “kill off” legislation by talking at length to prevent the Senate voting on a bill. In the 155th Congress, Congress passed 442 bills, 1/3rd of which were ceremonial.
A – Partisanship makes it harder to pass legislation and bipartisanship is rare
P – Congressional oversight is weak as presidents have found ways to avoid scrutiny
E – For example, one of the Senate’s functions is to ratify treaties but recent Presidents have used their direct authority to make executive agreements with other countries, avoiding the need for a formal treaty.
A – Does not effectively check the powers of the president.
P – Not representative of the people
E - 118th Congress was 28% female despite the US population being majority women. Significant as men are legislating on issues that affect women without understanding the issues. For example, existing research suggests women are more likely to legislate on gender inequality, reproductive health and family issues.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which the Congress cannot be described as the broken branch of government
P – Still able to hold the executive to account
E – Through the power of the purse. Specifically the threat of hugely expensive and unpopular shutdowns force the executive to make concessions to keep the federal government running.
A – Not effective as Trump found a way to bypass Congress’s power of the purse in 2019 when he declared a national emergency so that he could use emergency funding to build his wall.
P – Bipartisan Compromise is still possible
E - In times of emergency Congress is able to work together to pass legislation. Trump and Pelosi working together to agree a relief package following Hurricane Harvey
A – Politics increasingly more decisive and only 18 major acts of legislation were passed between 2015/17.
P – Congress’s function of impeachment is still functioning
E – Donald Trump was the first president to be impeached twice. Impeachment power being passed despite no one being convicted. Trumps popularity actually reached 49% (the highest point of his presidency after his impeachment.
A – Nixon resigning after the threat of impeachment. Despite the fact that Trumps popularity did not seem to falter, the impeachment power is still in use and a threat to presidents, encouraging them to act within the law.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which structural theory could be used to study executive and legislative relations in the UK and US.
P – Powers of the legislature to scrutinise the executive
E – Standing committees in the US - Permanent and focus on a specific area of policy. They are responsible for holding hearings during the committee stages of bills and vote on whether bills should proceed. The House Select Committee on Benghazi (2014–16) was set up to investigate the 2012 terrorist attack on the US embassy in Benghazi, Libya, in which the US ambassador to Libya was killed. The committee interviewed more than 100 witnesses and spent 2 years and $7 million investigating the attack. The committee made headlines when it questioned former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for 11 hours in 2015. They also have hearings to consider a nominee’s suitability including supreme court nominations. In the UK Select Committees have the ability to call and question ministers which forces accountability. Amber Rudd resigned after she denied the Home Office had targets for the deportation of illegal immigrants. Further, the PM is directly scrutinised in PMQs.
P – Rules surrounding job security
E – The UK House of Commons can remove the prime minister with a simple majority vote. In 2022, Johnson won a no confidence vote but 148 MPs voted against him. This makes it essential for the prime minister to retain the support of the Commons, whereas a president who loses the support of Congress will continue in office, barring impeachment. It is much more difficult for Congress to remove the president from office, as it must navigate the complex process of impeachment for wrongdoing. No president has ever been found guilty by the Senate and removed from office, although three have been impeached by the house (Johnson, Clinton and Trump). The House of Representatives can impeach the president with a simple majority vote. The president is then tried by the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is needed for a guilty verdict.
P – Dependent on support from legislature
E - Office for Legislative Affairs is part of the Executive Office of the President, and lobbies members of Congress to vote for the president’s legislation. Cabinet officers and key figures in the president’s administration can reach out to members of Congress to secure their support on key votes. The administration may need to ‘call in favours’ and make deals. In the UK, this is done by patronage and party discipline. The administration often needs votes from across the aisle, meaning the opposing party, since the two parties sit on opposing sides of the central aisle in each chamber of Congress. The administration may therefore lobby members of Congress from both parties. In the UK, PM’s with a large majority often don’t rely on votes from the opposing party.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which rational theory could be used to study how members of Congress and Parliament vote within their respective legislatures. (2020) p317-8, 324, 336-368 and your notes.
P – Party discipline
E – In the US party discipline has traditionally been weak. Majority and minority party whips in each chamber organise party members to vote as directed by the leadership. However, their power to enforce party unity is limited. The separation of powers prevents party leaders from offering government positions to members of Congress in exchange for support. The president may use their informal power to persuade members of Congress to support their agenda. In the case of members of their own party this could include campaigning in their home state when they face re-election. They can also be threatened with a withdrawal of party support, either in their next election campaign or in their attempt to progress up the party hierarchy. Only one Republican senator, Mitt Romney, voted against Trump in his 2019 impeachment trial. Although party discipline is generally seen as weak, Congress has become more partisan and polarised over the last two decades, with members more likely to vote along party lines. In the UK, whips decide slots for 10 minute bills, and committee bill memberships. Further, the PM can promote loyal members to cabinet.
P – Own ideologies
E – Caucuses in the US - For example, the congressional progressive Caucus is the most liberal and progressive caucus in the Democratic party with 98 members in 2020. They promote economic security and justice, energy independence and environmental protection. Also factions and divisions in UK parties. The main Conservative factions are the ‘Thatcherites’, who want to return to the economic liberalism, social authoritarianism and constitutional conservatism of Margaret Thatcher. There are also the ‘Pre-Thatcherites’ who support an older form of conservatism going back to Disraeli and ‘One-Nation’ and tend to be pro-Europe.
P – Partisanship
E - Polarisation increases partisanship, as the two parties become implacably and ideologically opposed to each other. Bipartisanship becomes more difficult to achieve, increasing the likelihood of gridlock during periods of divided government. Party unity votes are those in which the majority of voting Republicans oppose the majority of voting Democrats. The number of party unity votes has increased significantly since the turn of the century, another product of increased partisanship
- Explain and analyse three ways in which rational theory could be used to identify the ability to function of the UK and US executives
P – Executive orders and pushing through legislation
E - An executive order is an official order made by the president directly to the federal government. It has the effect of law but can be easily reversed by the next president, unlike a real law passed by Congress. Trump has already issued 130 executive orders including closing the department of education and imposing tariffs on around 90 countries including 145% for China. Poll tax for China.
P – Voting to block legislation from the opposing party
E - This was evident after the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in which 26 people were shot and killed, 20 of whom were children. Obama released plans for stricter gun controls including a ban on assault weapons. A majority of the US public supported these reforms but Congress rejected the legislation. Not as significant in the UK. During a vote on the Rwanda bill, all Labour MPs voted no but all Conservative MPs except for 11 voted yes and so it was passed – not effective in times of parliamentary majority
P – Passing money bills
E – Truss’s neo-liberal budget – could not be blocked by the H of L. The power of the purse is a powerful check on the president, which requires Congress to pass the federal budget and therefore fund the federal government. If Congress refuses to pass the president’s budget, it can force a government shutdown, putting pressure on the president to agree to its demands
- Explain and analyse three ways in which cultural theory could be used to study how members of Congress and Parliament vote in their respective legislatures. p209,212-213, 449-451 and your notes
P – Party ideology
E – Conservative party has historically supported British traditional values such as controlled immigration and extra funding for police officers whilst Labour has had strong affiliations with the working class and trade unions – more likely to support renationalisation, raising the minimum wage and removing necessary restrictions on trade unions.
P – Religion
E – Abortion and same-sex marriage. DUP and Sinn Fein – not important in Westminster
P – America 1st vs Internationalism
E - Both Democrats and Labour can be seen as more enthusiastic about global bodies and internationalism. The bulk of the Labour Party was pro-EU in the referendum. Obama pointedly rejected Bush’s ‘axis of evil’ terminology and worked for better relations with countries traditionally less well disposed towards the USA. He also focused on reducing the US military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Republicans and Conservatives – The party’s stance on BREXIT in 2019 and their strong anti-immigration focus. Trump’s campaign focusing on “Make America Great Again” and his recent tariffs.
- ‘The scrutiny powers of the British parliament are less effective than the US Congress.’ Analyse and evaluate this statement.
P1 – Scrutiny of the executive
US – Impeachment motivates members of the executive to follow the law. Nixon resignation 1974. (Never led to the removal of a sitting president from office). Overriding a presidential veto - Overrode President Donald Trump’s veto of a $741 billion defense policy bill, delivering a rare bipartisan rebuke in 2021.
UK – Prime Ministers questions. In 2017/18 55,000 questions asked. Corbyn asked questions from public. Sir Anthony Seldon revealed “takes hours of preparation and most prime ministers find them to be the most stressful part of the job. (Theatrical– Former speaker John Berkrow argued that PMQs are “very male… in the worst cases, of yobbery and public school twittishness. Patsy questions – Shaun Bailey asked about police funding to present the government in the best possible light).
P2 – Scrutiny of legislation
US – Standing committees review all bills in their area with the power to pigeonhole, amend or block the bill. They have huge staff who develop knowledge and policy specialisation which balances the executive branch. Conference committees and reports. Decreasing in regularity due to political polarisation.
UK – Select committees have the ability to call and question expert witnesses. Amber Rudd interviewed by Home Affairs Committee. In her interview, she denied the Home Office had plans to deport illegal immigrants but leaked emails suggested she knew of such plans and thus she resigned from her post taking full responsibility. Lords committees can examine specialist subjects using the experience of experts in that field. Only delay bills for up to a year and cant block any money bills.
P3 – Political contexts
US – In periods of divided government the majority of one or both Houses has an incentive to investigate their opponents in the executive. In 2018 the Democrats won the House and launched a series of investigations into Trump that led to his first impeachment.
UK – In landslide elections the PMs party dominates the commons including committees – elective dictatorship. However, when there is a minority government scrutiny can be more effective. For example Mays government failed to get the EU withdrawal bill passed due to opposition from MPs.
