Structure and powers of Congress. (2003). In D. R. Tarr, & A. O'Connor (Eds.), Congress A to Z. Washington: CQ Press. Retrieved August 19, 2005, from CQ Electronic Library, CQ Encyclopedia of American Government.
Structure and Powers of Congress
Under the Constitution, Congress is charged with carrying out the legislative functions of government. The framers of the Constitution wanted the lawmaking role to be in the hands of a representative body. They considered Congress, the collective name for the Senate and House of Representatives, to be the “first branch” of the U.S. government, the primary maker of national policy. The powers, structure, and procedures of the national legislature are outlined in considerable detail in the Constitution, unlike those of the presidency and the judiciary, the other independent branches in the American system of separation of powers.
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