(From CBS 2 School)
Cup and saucer is a metaphor used to differentiate the roles played by the House of Representatives and United States Senate.
Thomas Jefferson once expressed his doubts about the usefulness of the Senate. “Why did you pour that coffee into your saucer?” George Washington asked. “To cool it,” Jefferson replied. “Even so,” Washington declared, “we pour legislation into the senatorial saucer to cool it.”
Our bicameral legislature was divided for reasons other than compromising between big states and small states. Each house represents the people, yet they also possess remarkably different responsibilities. The House, modeled on the British House of Commons, represents the passions of the people. The Senate, modeled on the British House of Lords, responds to these passions with reason. James Madison saw the Senate as an “anchor,” a “necessary fence” against the “fickleness and passion” of the people. The Senate is to “cool” House legislation just as a saucer was used to cool hot tea. Today, with the advent of directly elected Senators and the 24/7 televised news cycle, it is more difficult to discern between the passions of the House and the Senate. You could say two overflowing cups now characterize our Congress. Who is going to clean up the mess?
Alexander Hamilton while speaking to a group of foreign visitors observing action on the floor of the House of Representatives said, “Here Sir, the people govern.” For this reason our legislative branch continues to be our democracies most prized possession.
Know how these terms empower the U.S. Congress:
Incumbency
Necessary and Proper
Special orders
Franking
Gerrymandering
Leadership
Logrolling
Constituent Service
Commerce Clause
3 comments:
I find it interesting that the Senate-- a body whose designated purpose was to "cool" the legislation of the House-- has now transformed into a body that needs a third entity to "cool" it. I'm curious as to what, specifically, contributed to this transformation. Congress' approval rating is at an all-time low, and the Senate's inability to "anchor" the House (as the Senate itself needs a body to police its "fickleness and passion")is largely to blame for Congress' shortcomings.
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