This leads to a high degree of autonomy for some subcommittees, while other subcommittees have only limited autonomy. Those with a high degree of autonomy will play a more direct role in legislative issues.
In addition to the committees, Congress has an entrenched leadership system. The highest rank is the Speaker of the House. Each party also has a Leader and a Whip. The leader runs the party's activities in the House. The Whip keeps track of legislation and works to make sure that party members vote in the manner desired by the party leader. The Speaker is the leader of the majority party; while the Majority Leader is second-in-command of the party. The Minority Leader is the leader of the minority party.
Leadership of the Senate is the Vice President of the United States. The party leaders have more power, however. Each party has a leader, as well as a whip, considered the second-in-command.
There are several differences in the governing and leadership style of the House and the Senate. One is that the Senate has more powers than does the House. For example, while both parties vote on legislation, the Senate's powers also include consenting to treaties and confirming a number of different officers. The House of Representatives has its own exclusive powers, including...
Partly as a function of the Senate's longer terms, that house tends to more deliberative than the House, carefully poring over legislation before granting approval.
The House of Representatives can be more partisan, though it is not as partisan as would be seen in the parliamentary system. House members, with smaller districts than senators, can pay more attention to their constituencies. This presents challenges to leadership, necessitating a more brisk leadership style. The committees also have their own leaders. In the Senate, these are more likely to be considered and non-partisan, owing to the more collegial atmosphere. The House committees are not especially partisan but will be less collegial in their approach to legislation. The committees are bipartisan, however, and the output will represent a sort of compromise.
Works Cited:
Heitshusen, V. (2007). Committee Types and Roles. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved November 13, 2009 from http://www.rules.house.gov/archives/98-241.pdf
