U.S. Government: Bicameral Legislature, Federalism & Texas
Why did the Framers of the Constitution create a bicameral legislature? Was part of the reason for a two-house legislature the idea that it would be more difficult to pass legislation, therefore serving as a check on a runaway legislature? What impact does this have today? Is it easy for Congress to agree on legislation?
There are three main reasons.
The primary reason was an issue of chronological precedent. At the same time as the American colonists had revolted against British regulation in the Revolutionary War, they silently drew a lot of their ideas about government from their colonial understanding as British citizens. In addition, the British Parliament had two houses—an upper chamber, the House of Lords, packed with representatives of the nobility, and a lower chamber, the House of Commons, full of representatives of the commonplace people. That case in point shaped the thoughts of the Constitution's framers.
Presidential Scandal Speeches: Rhetoric and Responsibility
Presidential scandal speeches should be considered a unique form of discoursed that follow a common pattern and have similar elements. All of these may not be found in every single speech but most certainly will, including Richard Nixon's Second Watergate Speech (1973), Ronald Reagan's Iran-Contra Speech (1987), and Bill Clinton's Monica Lewinsky Speech (1998). All the presidents used strong, direct and active voice when making these speeches, with Clinton seeming to be particularly prone to narcissism and use of the first-person singular.