gov). Regardless of the administration, the President must ultimately bow to the will of the Senate on treaties; President Wilson failed in his attempt at the passage of the League of Nations, just as President Obama is having difficulty in passage of trade bills with Columbia, South Korea, and Panama.
The Senate's powers also include further checks on the Executive Branch, namely the authority of impeachment by trial, two of which have been conducted on sitting Presidents: Jackson and Clinton. In addition the Senate has investigative powers on "malfeasance in the Executive Branch and elsewhere in American society" (United States Senate.gov).
Apart from the specific powers reserved for the Senate, perhaps its greatest role is as the ultimate arbiter of policy and government action. Because of the unique rules of the Senate, many proposed legislative bills end up languishing in committees or are never brought to a vote. The Senate's cloture vote procedure which requires 60 votes to end debate and the threat of filibuster to block legislation is arguably the chamber's greatest power (United States Senate.gov). The cloture procedure in absence of a supermajority in one party all but guarantees that only legislation supported by bipartisanship will pass with Senate approval. As the deliberative chamber the Senate's rules have earned it the reputation of the "place where bills go to die" (Moody, C.).
An institution which has endured for over 230 years the Senate is cloaked in mystery and intrigue, a reality produced by the body's anachronistic rules and procedures. The Senate's role in American government...
As American government faces the unique 21st century challenges of a complex global landscape, the 100 Senators comprising the institution can be confident that their predecessors met the challenges of their day, and left the Senate stronger, more durable, and adroit to meet its Constitutional mandate.
References
Economist.com. The Non-Deliberative Body. May 19, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011
from http://www.economist.com/blogs/lexington/2011/05/tackling_deficit
Kramer, Lisa. "World's Greatest Deliberative Body. The League of Ordinary Gentlemen.
August 11, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2011 from http://ordinary-gentlemen.com/blog/2010/08/11/worlds-greatest-deliberative-body/
Moody, Chris. "House Republicans Frustrated with Senate for not Considering Health
Care Repeal." January 20, 2011. The Daily Caller. Retrieved May 19, 2011 from http://dailycaller.com/2011/01/19/house-republicans-frustrated-with-senate-for-not-considering-health-care-repeal-bill/
United States Senate.gov. Powers and Procedures. N.D. Retrieved May 19, 2011 from http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/powers.htm
United States Senate.gov. Origins and Development. N.D. Retrieved May 19, 2011 from http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Constitution_Senate.htm
U.S. Constitution.net. The United States Constitution. N.D. Retrieved May 19, 2011 from http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Article1
