... approval. Other congressional duties include investigating pressing national issues and supervising the executive and judicial branches.2 The US Constitution created a system of separation of powers, where three branches of government, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary are kept strictly separated, in order to form a system of checks and balances, preventing one institution from becoming too powerful. The difference in the basic constitutional arrangements - the fusion of power in the UK and the strict separation of power in the US - will colour every comparison made between Parliament and Congress.3 In order to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both legislatures, the structure, functions and powers of each legislature will be discussed. Like the British Parliament, the US Congress is bicameral as it consists of two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the US, however, there is balanced bicameralism since the two houses are constitutionally ...

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