How does the Congress check the acts of the President?

Answer 1

Congress serves as a check on the activities of the bureaucracy. Congress oversees the bureaucracy in a number of ways.

1) Duplication - Congress rarely gives any one job to a single agency. For example, drug trafficking is the task of the Customs Services, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Border Patrol, and the Defense Department. Although this spreading out of the responsibility often leads to contradictions among agencies and sometimes inhibits the responsiveness of government, it also keeps any one agency from becoming all powerful.

2) Authorization - No agency may spend money unless it has first been authorized by Congress. Authorization legislation originates in a legislative committee, and states the maximum amount of money that an agency may spend on a given program. Furthermore, even if funds have been authorized, Congress must also appropriate the money. An appropriation is money formally set aside for a specific use, and it usually is less than the amount authorized. The Appropriations Committees in both houses of Congress must divide all available money among the agencies, and almost always they cut agency budgets from the levels authorized.

3) Hearings - Congressional committees may hold hearings as part of their oversight responsibilities. Agency abuses may be questioned publicly, although the committee holding the hearings typically has the oversight responsibility, so a weak agency may reflect weak oversight.

4) Rewriting legislation - If they wish to restrict the power of an agency, Congress may rewrite legislation or make it more detailed. Every statute is filled with instructions to its administrators, the more detailed the instructions, the better able Congress is to restrict the agency's power. Still, an agency usually finds a way to influence the policy, no matter how detailed the orders of Congress.

Answer 2

Congress was regarded by the founding fathers as the strongest branch of government for a number of reasons, two of which are important to answer this question: First, because the constitution is one of limited powers, meaning that the federal government is allowed to do something ONLY if the constitution says it can. Second, because Congress has "the power of the purse."

The first is important because it means that that the President has access to limited power to act, unless he acts with congress's permission. If the President acts in ways that displease congress, they can revoke his power to acts.

The second is important because the federal government can do nothing without funding, and Congress has explicit constitutional power over the executive branch's budget.

Also, because I assume this question was asked by someone looking to do homework, I'll add that Congress can overcome the president's veto power by a 2/3 majority vote. Teachers always think that is important to checks and balances, but the reality is that any legal scholar will tell you that it pales in comparison to the importance of the issues listed above.

Answer 3

The President can "veto" any bill proposal from congress, thus stopping it from becoming law. Likewise, presidential proposals that cannot pass the senate or congressional support will not be made law. As long as the 3 federal levels don't obtain so much power as to supersede the other 2, the balance of power is more or less equal between the three.

Answer 4

The Congress can check the acts of the President by overriding a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Congress can also conduct investigations, hold hearings, and limit funding for presidential initiatives to oversee and check the President's actions. Additionally, Congress has the power to impeach and remove the President for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Answer 5

There is one primary way in which the president of the United States can check Congress. This power provided to the president is the ability to veto bills that Congress votes on and passes.

Answer 6

By OVERRiDiNg a pRESiDENt'S VEtO

Answer 7

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