Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 7 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 19 years, 6 months ago by
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- Does anybody know what a congressman's job description is? I know they are supposed to make laws and stuff, but are they supposed to interject personal feelings into the laws they vote for, or is it supposed to be the thoughts and feelings of their constituents?
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Name : Paula19819, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 31, City : Texarkana, State : AR Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,A congressperson's job is not only to help generate the laws of the land, but to deal with budgeting and allocating the money that comes in from taxes, and be a 'check' on the other two branches of government, judicial and executive. They, in turn, are checks on each other and the legislative branch. In this way, no one branch is supposed to be able to have so much power that we would have a monarchy, or worse, a dictatorship. They represent the citizens, and through them we are supposed to have our voice. Being that this is a representative democracy, the congressperson is supposed to take the majority opinions of his or her district into account when they vote. What folks want and what they need sometimes gets confused, however. That's where the representative's common sense is supposed to balance the needs of the district, with what they know of the law/situation at hand and the needs of citizens in the rest of the country.User Detail :
Name : Miranda J., Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : African, Cherokee, Irish, English, Scottish, Welsh, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 30, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Production Coordinator, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I think it's a balance between their own views and the views of their consituents. If their constituents expect something that would be damaging to the country as a whole, in the parliamentarian's view, I think he or she should go against what the constituents expect. Ultimately, they are responsible for their own decisions, and that responsibility cannot be passed to the constituents or the party.User Detail :
Name : Priscilla30296, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 23, City : Sydney, State : NA Country : Australia, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,The Founding Fathers (or 'Founders', if you prefer) would barely recognize what you see today in Congress. The House was intended to be a citizen legislature in which representatives were close to, and intimately familiar with, the people they represented. The Senate was intended to be an appointed body in which each state's government would send two of its 'elder statesmen' up to Congress. Any legislator in either body might vote their conscience and best judgment, but would ultimately be accountable to those who elected them. We could do a whole lot worse than going back to the unamended Constitution and Bill of Rights (the Reconstruction amendments excepted, because they fixed something that was fundamentally wrong with the original document from the beginning). And no, I don't think the original Constitution specifically excluded women from voting; therefore an amendment wasn't necessary.User Detail :
Name : Augustine23661, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 39, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,As Mark Twain said, 'Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress? But I repeat myself.'Assuming you are talking about the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Constitution is quite specific about what they can and can't do. Most of the cans are in Section 8 of Article 1, and most of the can'ts are in Section 9. However, there is no legal requirement for a congressman to vote one way or another on any issue. He or she can vote his or her mind. However, so can the people who elect them, and therefore the check is that if they drift too far from their constituents, they don't get re-elected. Obviously, a congressman also can court public opinion and exert leadership in that way, also.
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Name : Steve27657, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 41, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Corporate Cubicle Guy, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,The 'textbook' duties of a member of Congress are to represent their given district in the Congress of the United States. What this means is a number of things, most importantly remaining in touch with their constituents and voting on and proposing bills (theoretically) based on the needs and desires of the district, and in line with the principles of the U.S. Constitution. Members also serve on a few committees each, which is where bills are drafted and amended.Now, the above is what you would find in a U.S. Government studies textbook. Having a bachelor's degree in political science and working on Capitol Hill for a semester as an intern (hold the jokes please, it was nothing like that!), I can say otherwise. The U.S. Congress, like many other legislatures, is composed of various factions and coalitions, each with their own interests, which may or may not be in line with the welfare of each district. Members of Congress must not only serve the will of their constituents, but also in many cases support their party in legislation and (although the members do not like to emphasize it) serve special interest groups that lobby them and give them donations. Being a Member of Congress is a very hard job and is often a balancing act among conflicting interests. Much of the position also ends up involving public relations - riding in parades, attending ribbon cuttings and the like. Because of the two-year term in Congress, most members are constantly campaigning, which many Congressional analysts believe is a major detriment to the job because they are focusing on being re-elected rather than passing meaningful legislation. If you really want to know what goes on in Congress, visit the office of your representative in Washington. It is be sure to be eye-opening.
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Name : Michael, Gender : M, Age : 30, City : Manassas, State : VA Country : United States, Occupation : History teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I'm not sure what the official job description contains but, but from having waited on a few over the last 16 years, I would say it should include something about arrogance and an overweening desire to wield power over others. Our representational democracy is deeply flawed. I believe the founding fathers intended political office as public service, not a career. In line with my speculation of the job description of congressmen, I advocate an informed, participatory democracy instead.As Rousseau wrote: "Sovereignty ... consists essentially in the general will and the will cannot be represented. Either it is itself, or it is something else; there is no middle ground. The deputies of the people, therefore, are merely its agents ... the instant a people chooses representatives, it is no longer free."
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Name : TV, City : Birmingham, State : AL Country : United States,
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