Essay Example on Congress Dysfunction: Causes and Consequences

Congress is the legislative branch of the government of the United States. It is the most powerful branch of the United States government. It is because it is composed of the senate and the house of representatives.

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Additionally, it has enumerated dominances that surpass the power of the supreme court and the president. Congress dysfunction means, there are abnormalities in the daily operations of the Congress. Thus, the major congress dysfunctions include; lack of institutional knowledge, excessive partisanship, constant fundraisings, the non-traditional process of lawmaking, and news media.

Firstly, the news media is a primary cause of congressional dysfunction. The citizens have limited experiences with the government. Thus, they rely on media messages to have an opinion about Congress.The media explains a story in ways in which the citizens understand its relevance, but they can influence how the citizens perceive the story. Thus, if the media negatively portrays Congress, the citizens' perceptions will also be negative.

Secondly, the lack of excessive partisanship is a major element that contributes to congressional dysfunction. Some of the congress members take many trips to go home for the purpose of socializing. The trips are paid using taxpayers' money, which citizens work hard to obtain. Such acts prevent Congress from serving the citizens who elected them because they have put their own needs first.

Thirdly, the use of the non-traditional process for lawmaking is another factor that contributes to congressional dysfunction. The dominant party makes the laws without taking into consideration what the minor party considers. The major party makes policies that benefit their party, donors, or constituencies, thus, encouraging selfishness and self-interest. Therefore, as the most powerful branch of the United States government, promoting self-interests is a major failure to the Congress and the American citizens.

Fourthly, constant fundraising is another factor that contributes to congressional dysfunction. Some members of Congress tend to go on constant trips in their home areas to fundraise. The money used in the constant fundraising ceremonies can be useful elsewhere, such as infrastructures, offering scholarships to the less fortunate. Also, being in many fundraising meetings daily prevents Congress from performing the jobs they were elected to do.

Lastly, the lack of institutional knowledge promotes congressional dysfunctions. This is evident because Congress struggles to make policies on complicated concerns; thus, it is not in a position to serve the needs of the American People. Additionally, Congress is obsessed with local issues because its ability to understand complex problems is compromised. Congress has failed to act on important aspects that are important in connecting America as a nation. These aspects include; power grids, roads, and bridges. Also, knowledge asymmetry within the Congress results in the uneven allocation of experts that are trusted in Congress. The uneven distribution of quality expertise hinders the ability of people to make the policies to see their aligned interests. Thus, failure to see the aligned interests distorts the policymaking process.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the various factors disrupting the smooth operating of the Congress should be taken into consideration and handled. The American people believe in their government, and likewise, the Congress is the most powerful branch of the government should strive to maintain the trust the American citizens give it.