“Act of Congress…” Washington Post, Article Review Example

Occasionally the dialogue between the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch opens up, and the American system works the way it was intended, with slight variations. This is clearly illustrated by an article posted by The Washington Post on May 6th, 2013, that describe the efforts of Democratic Representative Barney Frank in imposing regulations on the US banking system following the burst of the housing market in 2008.

When the housing market went under due to a lack of regulation under the previous Bush administration, Representative Barney Frank from Massachusetts sat down with the new Presidential regime of Barack Obama to draft a bill that would radically change both bank oversights by the government, and place restrictions on the banking industry to prevent another economic collapse.

After a plan was drafted, it was not the most popular bill amongst Democrats or Republicans, though it was necessary. Representative Frank, who may go down in history as one of the most influential members of Congress ever, acted an effective go-between between his fellow Congressmen and women, the American Banking Association, and the President to effectively pass some new legislation.

This legislation is a great example of positive political science in action. Rep. Frank was able to negotiate a deal between the Executive, Congress, and lobbyist groups that ultimately passed–no small feat in the political atmosphere today.