美国国会(Congress of the United States)

美国的立法机构，根据美国宪法（1789）成立，在结构上与政府之行政和司法部门鼎足而三，接替根据「邦联条例」而设立的一院制国会。包括两院︰参议院，州不论大小一概由两名参议员代表。「第十七条宪法修正案」（1913）通过後，参议员由各州立法机构指定，此後，参议员是以直选方式产生；众议院，议员以人口为基础选出。全部的成员共435名。国会为其年度会期采取委员会制，以便於审查所发生的各种事宜。国会两院共同组成联合委员会处理双方关心的问题。另外，除非两院都批准同一文件，国会的任何法案均不能生效，因此成立协商委员会调整立法纷争。总统的最重要立法职能之一是对所提出的立法签署或否决。国会的每个院均可以三分之二票数推翻总统的否决。按宪法规定，国会拥有一些特殊权力，如课徵赋税权，对外货款，管理商业，铸币，宣战，徵召和补给军队，制定为执行其权力所需要的一切法律等等。所有和金融相关的立法都需由众议院提出；参议院的职权包括通过总统提名，批准条约，和裁定弹劾案。参阅bicameral system。

English version：

Congress of the United States

Legislature of the U.S., established under the Constitution of the U.S. (1789) and separated structurally from the executive and judicial (see judiciary) branches of government. It succeeded the unicameral congress created by the Articles of Confederation (1781). It consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Representation in the Senate is fixed at two senators per state. Until passage of the 17th Amendment (1913), senators were appointed by the state legislatures; since then they have been elected directly. In the House, representation is proportional to each state's population; total membership is restricted (since 1912) to 435 members. Congressional business is processed by committees: bills are debated in committees in both houses, and reconciliation of the two resulting versions takes place in a conference committee. A presidential veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in each house. Congress's constitutional powers include the setting and collecting of taxes, borrowing money on credit, regulating commerce, coining money, declaring war, raising and supporting armies, and making all laws necessary for the execution of its powers. All finance-related legislation must originate in the House; powers exclusive to the Senate include approval of presidential nominations, ratification of treaties, and adjudication of impeachments. See also bicameral system.