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cover of episode UNBIASED Politics (5/15/25): Part I: Everything You Need to Know About the LEGISLATIVE Branch of the U.S. Government

UNBIASED Politics (5/15/25): Part I: Everything You Need to Know About the LEGISLATIVE Branch of the U.S. Government

2025/5/15
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UNBIASED
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Jordan Berman
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我创建了这个三部分的系列节目，以清晰、公正地解释美国政府的三个部门：立法、司法和行政部门。本集重点介绍立法部门，即国会，解释其权力、历史和运作方式。国会由众议院和参议院组成，分别代表各州的人口和各州本身。众议员任期两年，参议员任期六年。国会的权力包括制定法律、宣战、监管贸易、征税和支出、监督行政部门以及弹劾官员。国会通过制衡机制来监督行政和司法部门，例如确认总统任命、否决总统否决、设立法院以及提出宪法修正案。国会的历史可以追溯到《邦联条例》的失败，这导致了《宪法》的制定和两院制的建立。随着时间的推移，国会的权力发生了演变，包括最高法院对隐含权力的确认、参议员的直接选举、新政期间的权力扩张以及民权立法的通过。然而，在 20 世纪 50 年代，帝国总统制开始出现，总统获得了更多权力，这导致国会将权力下放给行政机构。水门事件后，国会试图重新获得权力，但党派政治的加剧和技术的进步改变了国会的运作方式。立法程序包括提出法案、委员会审查、全体投票、可能的调解以及总统的签署或否决。参议院的冗长辩论规则对立法过程有重大影响，因为它允许少数派阻止法案的通过。尽管国会拥有巨大的权力，但党派政治和程序性策略导致了僵局和低效。公民可以通过参加市政厅会议、阅读通讯、使用社交媒体以及联系其选区办公室来与国会议员联系。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter introduces the bicameral structure of Congress, outlining the composition, term lengths, and eligibility criteria for both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It also highlights key differences between these two chambers and the unique position of Washington D.C. in the legislative system.
  • The U.S. legislative branch is Congress, a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
  • Representatives serve two-year terms, Senators serve six-year terms.
  • Representatives are apportioned by population, Senators represent each state equally.

Shownotes Transcript

Get the facts, without the spin. UNBIASED offers a clear, impartial recap of US news, including politics, elections, legal news, and more. Hosted by lawyer Jordan Berman, each episode provides a recap of current political events plus breakdowns of complex concepts—like constitutional rights, recent Supreme Court rulings, and new legislation—in an easy-to-understand way. No personal opinions, just the facts you need to stay informed on the daily news that matters. If you miss how journalism used to be, you're in the right place.

Lately, there’s been a lot of debate—and confusion—about the separation of powers, checks and balances, and whether certain branches are overstepping their authority. I created this three-part series to help cut through the noise and give you a clear, unbiased look at how each branch is supposed to function, what powers they actually hold, and how they’re meant to keep each other in check. In today's episode, we're diving into the legislative branch of the U.S. government.

  • Intro (0:00)

  • Foundational Elements of Congress (2:40)

  • Congress' Powers; Checks and Balances (5:27)

  • Congress' History and Evolution (12:15)

  • How Bills Become Laws (31:23)

  • How You Can Contact Your Lawmakers (41:20)

  • Congressional Fun Facts (43:21)

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