Legislative branch powers of congress

Powers of Congress

At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the framers of the U.S. Constitution sought to build the foundations of a strong central government. But they also wanted to preserve the liberty of individual citizens, and ensure the government didn’t abuse its power.

To strike this balance, they divided power between three separate branches of government: the legislative, the executive and the judicial.

Article I of the Constitution established the U.S.

Congress, a bi-cameral legislative body consisting of two chambers, or houses. As shown by its prime spot at the beginning of the Constitution, the framers initially intended the legislative branch—which they saw as closest to the people—to be the most powerful of the three branches of government.

But as the powers of the presidency and the executive branch expanded during the 19th and 20th centuries, the relative power of Congress diminished, though it still remains essential to the functioning of the nation’s gove