Contrasting Legislative Functions: UK Parliament vs. US Congress

Comparing the
Comparing the
Legislative Branches in
Legislative Branches in
the UK and US
the UK and US
 
The following slides highlight the key
differences between the legislative
functions in the UK and USA
These can be used to plan essays about
the legislative branches
 
The legislative function in the US
The legislative function in the US
Congress and UK Parliament
Congress and UK Parliament
 
No government programme
of legislation exists
The level of 
party discipline
is 
low
Republicans turning
on each other during Trump
era
Thousands of bills are
introduced in any one session
Few
 of these bills are passed
into law
The committee stage comes
before the second reading
 
A government programme of
legislation exists – announced
every year in the Queen’s
Speech (Official Opening of
Parliament)
The level of 
party discipline 
is
high
 – whip system!
A limited number of bills are
introduced in any session
Most
 of these bills are passed
into law (as they originate
from the government)
The committee stage comes
after the second reading
The legislative function in the US
The legislative function in the US
Congress and UK Parliament
Congress and UK Parliament
 
Standing committees
are 
permanent and
policy specialist
Bills are usually
considered by both
houses 
concurrently
The two chambers have
equal power
The president has the
significant 
power of
veto
 over laws
 
 
Standing committees
are non permanent and
non-specialist
Bills are considered by
both houses
consecutively
The lower chamber
(HoC) dominates
Royal assent is a
formality and is not
withheld – 
The Queen
will not refuse to sign
bills.
Programmes of government
Programmes of government
legislation
legislation
 
Few opportunities
for individual MP
s to
introduce their own
bills
Government control
of legislative agenda
(government
majority likely)
 
 
All legislation
introduced by
individual members
of Congress
Party discipline
Party discipline
 
Most votes are party
line…Government v
Opposition
Very rare for MP
s to
oppose their own parties
(power of whips)
 
Votes are much more
coalition building within
congress- getting
enough Democrats and
Republicans to support
things
Esp important in senate
when threat of
filibuster/tied vote
Number of bills
Number of bills
 
Legislative agenda
controlled by
government due to their
control of parliament
 
 
No 
control
 of legislative
agenda
Importance on committees
deciding what to prioritise
or pigeon hole – if a
committee side-lines a bill
it is basically dead.
Importance of rules
committee deciding what
to timetable to present to
the chamber
The legislative process
The legislative process
 
Limited role for standing
committees - controlled by
whips
Government effectively
controls amendments 
by
using its majority to vote
down amendments it does not
like
Monarch does not block
legislations (last time was in
1707!)
 
Standing committees
chairpersons can block bills
they don
t like
Standing committees have
full power of amendment
President can block any
legislation by vetoing it –
Clinton vetoed 36 laws
But congress can override
with 2/3 majority
 (although
this is an uncommon
occurance)
Conclusions - legislative power
Conclusions - legislative power
 
Legislation passes
through parliament
Legislation is the
government’s shopping
list
Queens speech…my
government will…
 
Parliament legitimises
legislation
 
Legislation is passed by
Congress
Legislation is the
administration
s
(executive’s) wish list
State of the union…every
January  President asks
congress to implement
particular laws.
 
Congress legislates
Scrutiny - holding the executive to
Scrutiny - holding the executive to
account
account
 
Impeachment
Standing committees
Select committees
Confirmation of
appointments (Senate)
Ratification of treaties
(Senate)
Intense media scrutiny
 
Vote of no confidence in
the government.
Question time (and
written questions)
Debates
Select committees
Scrutiny of appointments
Scrutiny of appointments
 
Senate has power to
confirm (or reject) all
presidential senior
appointments –
Obama’s 2nd pick for
Supreme Court was
never confirmed
Senate has to ratify
all treaties signed by
the president
 
Parliament has no
control over the
Prime Minister’s
“power of patronage”
– choosing of the
cabinet
Parliament has no
power once treaties
are signed by
government
Scrutiny of workings of government
Scrutiny of workings of government
 
Various opportunities
for MPs to question
government ministers
but none are
particularly effective
(FMQs is a political
show, no real outcome)
 
Congress has 
real
power
 to examine
and force officials
to appear before it
or provide
information
Scrutiny - work of committees
Scrutiny - work of committees
 
Standing committees both
legislate and scrutinise
Well staffed, well funded,
powerful
Hold hearings, carry out
investigations, force
witnesses to attend or
documents to be handed over
 
Standing committees only
deal with legislation and don
t
have much influence over this
Select committees
scrutinise government
Hold hearings but cannot
force government to release
information or get ministers
to appear
Analyse the effectiveness of
Analyse the effectiveness of
political assemblies’ abilities to
political assemblies’ abilities to
scrutinise the government in two
scrutinise the government in two
political systems you have studied.
political systems you have studied.
 
 
        
        
(12)
(12)
 
Overall Plan:
 
-
Short Intro (see handout)
-
3 paragraphs comparing
elements of scrutiny in
UK/USA
-
One/Two sentence
conclusion summarising
what you have said.
 
Paragraph Plan:
 
Topic sentence
K – description + example on UK
K – description + example on
USA
Analysis, showing comparison,
relate to the essay question.
 
 
 
One way in which the House of Commons can scrutinise the work of the UK
Government is through questioning of Government ministers however, as the
executive and legislative branches are separated in the USA, scrutiny is carried out
via the media.   
(topic sentence)
Every week, MPs are given the opportunity to directly question both the Prime
Minister and other members of government on their decisions, the most obvious
example being Prime Question Time. Every Wednesday the PM must answer
questions from backbench MPs on his/her government’s actions, allowing the
legislative branch to scrutinise the work of the executive in a public manner. For
example …(PMQs) 
(K – description + example on UK)
 However, in the USA, the legislative and executive branches are completely
separate therefore, much of the scrutiny of the government will come from the
media. In particular, congressional hearings are openly public and often come under
heavy scrutiny from the various media outlets in America. C-Span is a network
dedicated to showing congressional hearings and meetings and this ensures that
scrutiny can occur on a daily basis. For example, (see USA scrutiny PP) 
(K –
description + example on USA)
Therefore, in the UK question time does produce the opportunity for the legislative
to scrutinise the government in a very public way, however, the US Congress can
use publicity of high profile hearings as means of publicly scrutinising the
government, due to a lack of equivalent of UK question time. As such, it can be said
that scrutiny in the UK is more effective than in the USA, in this manner, as the
legislative can directly critique the government and its decisions. 
(Analysis, showing
comparison)
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Highlighting the key disparities between the legislative roles in the UK Parliament and the US Congress, this collection of slides delineates differences in government programmes of legislation, party discipline, bill introduction and passage, committee stages, standing committees, presidential/royal assent powers, and individual MP/congressional member bill introductions.


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  1. Comparing the Legislative Branches in the UK and US The following slides highlight the key differences between the legislative functions in the UK and USA These can be used to plan essays about the legislative branches

  2. The legislative function in the US Congress and UK Parliament Image result for union jack on UK Image result for USA flag No government programme of legislation exists The level of party discipline is low Republicans turning on each other during Trump era Thousands of bills are introduced in any one session Few of these bills are passed into law The committee stage comes before the second reading A government programme of legislation exists announced every year in the Queen s Speech (Official Opening of Parliament) The level of party discipline is high whip system! A limited number of bills are introduced in any session Most of these bills are passed into law (as they originate from the government) The committee stage comes after the second reading

  3. The legislative function in the US Congress and UK Parliament Image result for union jack on UK Image result for USA flag Standing committees are permanent and policy specialist Bills are usually considered by both houses concurrently The two chambers have equal power The president has the significant power of veto over laws Standing committees are non permanent and non-specialist Bills are considered by both houses consecutively The lower chamber (HoC) dominates Royal assent is a formality and is not withheld The Queen will not refuse to sign bills.

  4. Programmes of government legislation Image result for union jack on UK Image result for USA flag Few opportunities for individual MP s to introduce their own bills Government control of legislative agenda (government majority likely) All legislation introduced by individual members of Congress

  5. Party discipline Image result for union jack on UK Image result for USA flag Votes are much more coalition building within congress- getting enough Democrats and Republicans to support things Esp important in senate when threat of filibuster/tied vote Most votes are party line Government v Opposition Very rare for MP s to oppose their own parties (power of whips)

  6. Number of bills Image result for union jack on UK Image result for USA flag No control of legislative agenda Importance on committees deciding what to prioritise or pigeon hole if a committee side-lines a bill it is basically dead. Importance of rules committee deciding what to timetable to present to the chamber Legislative agenda controlled by government due to their control of parliament

  7. The legislative process Image result for union jack on UK Image result for USA flag Standing committees chairpersons can block bills they don t like Standing committees have full power of amendment President can block any legislation by vetoing it Clinton vetoed 36 laws But congress can override with 2/3 majority (although this is an uncommon occurance) Limited role for standing committees - controlled by whips Government effectively controls amendments by using its majority to vote down amendments it does not like Monarch does not block legislations (last time was in 1707!)

  8. Conclusions - legislative power Image result for union jack on UK Image result for USA flag Legislation is passed by Congress Legislation is the administration s (executive s) wish list State of the union every January President asks congress to implement particular laws. Legislation passes through parliament Legislation is the government s shopping list Queens speech my government will Congress legislates Parliament legitimises legislation

  9. Scrutiny - holding the executive to account Image result for USA flag Image result for union jack on UK Impeachment Standing committees Select committees Confirmation of appointments (Senate) Ratification of treaties (Senate) Intense media scrutiny Vote of no confidence in the government. Question time (and written questions) Debates Select committees

  10. Scrutiny of appointments Image result for union jack on UK Image result for USA flag Parliament has no control over the Prime Minister s power of patronage choosing of the cabinet Parliament has no power once treaties are signed by government Senate has power to confirm (or reject) all presidential senior appointments Obama s 2nd pick for Supreme Court was never confirmed Senate has to ratify all treaties signed by the president

  11. Scrutiny of workings of government Image result for union jack on UK Image result for USA flag Congress has real power to examine and force officials to appear before it or provide information Various opportunities for MPs to question government ministers but none are particularly effective (FMQs is a political show, no real outcome)

  12. Scrutiny - work of committees Image result for union jack on UK Image result for USA flag Standing committees only deal with legislation and don t have much influence over this Select committees scrutinise government Hold hearings but cannot force government to release information or get ministers to appear Standing committees both legislate and scrutinise Well staffed, well funded, powerful Hold hearings, carry out investigations, force witnesses to attend or documents to be handed over

  13. Analyse the effectiveness of political assemblies abilities to scrutinise the government in two political systems you have studied. (12) Overall Plan: Paragraph Plan: Topic sentence K description + example on UK K description + example on USA Analysis, showing comparison, relate to the essay question. - - Short Intro (see handout) 3 paragraphs comparing elements of scrutiny in UK/USA One/Two sentence conclusion summarising what you have said. -

  14. One way in which the House of Commons can scrutinise the work of the UK Government is through questioning of Government ministers however, as the executive and legislative branches are separated in the USA, scrutiny is carried out via the media. (topic sentence) Every week, MPs are given the opportunity to directly question both the Prime Minister and other members of government on their decisions, the most obvious example being Prime Question Time. Every Wednesday the PM must answer questions from backbench MPs on his/her government s actions, allowing the legislative branch to scrutinise the work of the executive in a public manner. For example (PMQs) (K description + example on UK) However, in the USA, the legislative and executive branches are completely separate therefore, much of the scrutiny of the government will come from the media. In particular, congressional hearings are openly public and often come under heavy scrutiny from the various media outlets in America. C-Span is a network dedicated to showing congressional hearings and meetings and this ensures that scrutiny can occur on a daily basis. For example, (see USA scrutiny PP) (K description + example on USA) Therefore, in the UK question time does produce the opportunity for the legislative to scrutinise the government in a very public way, however, the US Congress can use publicity of high profile hearings as means of publicly scrutinising the government, due to a lack of equivalent of UK question time. As such, it can be said that scrutiny in the UK is more effective than in the USA, in this manner, as the legislative can directly critique the government and its decisions. (Analysis, showing comparison)

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