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Which of the following most accurately compares the majority leader of the House and the majority leader of the Senate?

a) The majority leader of the House has more legislative power.
b) The majority leader of the Senate has more legislative power.
c) Both leaders have equal legislative power.
d) Their legislative power depends on the political climate.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The majority leader of the House holds more legislative power than the majority leader of the Senate, mainly due to the House's majoritarian structure which allows the majority to exert control like a cartel.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is which position holds more legislative power, the majority leader of the House or the majority leader of the Senate? The correct answer is a) The majority leader of the House has more legislative power. This is due to the majoritarian nature of the House, where a majority can run it like a cartel. In contrast, the Senate functions as a super-majority institution, requiring 60 votes to overcome filibusters and other procedural hurdles.

The majority leader of the Senate does hold significant power as the functional leader and chief spokesperson for the majority party, especially given the absence of a Speaker like in the House. However, they do not exercise the same kind of unilateral control over the legislative process due to the Senate's traditions of unlimited debate and the need for broader consensus.

Additionally, the Senate is designed to act as a check on the more rapidly changing and potentially partisan House. With longer terms for Senators and the need to appeal to a whole state rather than individual districts, the Senate tends to be less prone to the influence of rapid shifts in public opinion and partisan pressures.