Legislatures: Congress and Parliament | 立法机构：国会与议会

📚 Legislatures: Congress and Parliament | 立法机构：国会与议会

In any democratic system, the legislature is the branch of government that makes laws, represents citizens and holds the executive to account. This article compares two of the most influential legislatures in the world: the United States Congress and the United Kingdom Parliament. Although both are bicameral and central to their political systems, they operate on very different constitutional principles. The US Congress shares power with a separately elected president, while the UK Parliament is sovereign and the government is drawn from its membership.

在任何民主制度中，立法机构都是负责制定法律、代表公民并监督行政部门的政府分支。本文比较世界上最具影响力的两个立法机构：美国国会和英国议会。尽管两者都是两院制，并且在其政治制度中处于核心地位，但它们运行所依据的宪法原则截然不同。美国国会与单独选举产生的总统分享权力，而英国议会拥有主权，政府从其议员中产生。

1. Constitutional Status | 宪法地位

The most fundamental difference between Congress and Parliament is their constitutional foundation. The US Constitution establishes a strict separation of powers: Congress, the president and the Supreme Court are separate institutions with separate personnel and independent sources of authority. No member of Congress can serve in the executive branch. In contrast, the UK constitution is based on parliamentary sovereignty and a fusion of powers. Ministers, including the prime minister, must be members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords, meaning the executive is drawn from and accountable to the legislature.

国会与议会最根本的区别在于其宪法基础。美国宪法确立了严格的权力分立：国会、总统和最高法院是彼此分离的机构，人员互不兼任，权力来源相互独立。国会议员不得在行政部门任职。相比之下，英国宪法以议会主权和权力融合为基础。包括首相在内的各部大臣必须是下议院或上议院议员，这意味着行政部门产生于立法机构并对其负责。

US courts can strike down laws passed by Congress through judicial review, because the Constitution is the supreme law. In the UK, Parliament is legally sovereign: no court can overturn an Act of Parliament, and no Parliament can bind its successors. However, in practice, membership of the European Union and devolution have placed some limits on parliamentary sovereignty.

美国法院可以通过司法审查推翻国会通过的法律，因为宪法是最高法律。在英国，议会在法律上是主权机构：没有任何法院可以推翻议会法案，也没有任何一届议会可以约束其继任者。但实践中，欧盟成员国身份和权力下放对议会主权形成了一定限制。

2. Bicameral Structure | 两院制结构

Both legislatures are bicameral, but the two chambers have very different powers and legitimacy. In the United States, the House of Representatives has 435 members elected every two years, with seats allocated to states by population. The Senate has 100 members, two per state, serving six-year terms with one-third elected every two years. The two chambers are co-equal in most legislative matters, but the Senate has exclusive powers over treaties and presidential appointments.

两个立法机构都是两院制，但两院的权力和合法性差异很大。在美国，众议院有435名议员，每两年选举一次，席位按各州人口分配。参议院有100名议员，每州两名，任期六年，每两年改选三分之一。两院在大多数立法事务上地位平等，但参议院在条约和总统任命方面拥有专属权力。

In the UK, the House of Commons is the elected lower chamber with 650 MPs, each representing a single constituency under first-past-the-post. The House of Lords is entirely unelected and consists of life peers, hereditary peers and bishops. The Lords can revise and delay legislation, but under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 it cannot veto bills passed by the Commons, except bills to prolong the life of a Parliament.

在英国，下议院是经选举产生的下院，有650名议员，每名议员在简单多数选举制下代表一个选区。上议院完全不经选举产生，由终身贵族、世袭贵族和主教组成。上议院可以修改和拖延立法，但根据1911年和1949年《议会法》，除延长议会任期的法案外，上议院不能否决下议院通过的法案。

3. Legislative Powers | 立法权力

Congress has enumerated powers listed in Article I of the Constitution, including the power to tax, borrow money, regulate interstate commerce, coin money, declare war and raise armed forces. It also has the necessary and proper clause, which allows it to make laws needed to carry out its enumerated powers. This has allowed Congress to expand its authority into many areas of policy.

国会拥有宪法第一条列举的权力，包括征税、借款、管理州际贸易、铸造货币、宣战和建立武装力量的权力。国会还拥有必要与适当条款，允许它制定实施列举权力所需的法律。这使得国会能够将其权力扩展到许多政策领域。

The UK Parliament has no fixed list of legislative powers. Because of parliamentary sovereignty, it can legislate on any subject for the whole United Kingdom, except where it has chosen to devolve powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In legal theory, Parliament can make or unmake any law, although political realities such as public opinion, EU membership and international treaties impose practical limits.

英国议会没有固定的立法权力清单。由于议会主权，它可以在整个联合王国就任何事项立法，除非它选择将权力下放给苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰。在法律理论上，议会可以制定或废除任何法律，尽管公众舆论、欧盟成员国身份和国际条约等政治现实构成了实际限制。

4. The Legislative Process | 立法程序

In the US, a bill must pass both chambers in identical form before being sent to the president. Bills are introduced by members of Congress, not by the executive, and are debated in committees before reaching the floor. The president can sign a bill into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without signature. A veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in both chambers, which is rare.

在美国，法案必须由两院以相同文本通过，然后送交总统。法案由国会议员提出，而非行政部门，并在提交全院前先经过委员会辩论。总统可以签署法案使其成为法律，否决法案，或不签署而使其自动成为法律。否决可以被两院三分之二多数推翻，但这种情况很少见。

In the UK, most significant bills are introduced by the government and must pass through several stages in both Houses: first reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage and third reading. The House of Lords can amend and delay bills for up to one year, but the Commons can reintroduce a bill the following session and use the Parliament Acts to bypass the Lords. Royal Assent is a formality and has not been refused since 1707.

在英国，大多数重要法案由政府提出，必须在两院经过多个阶段：一读、二读、委员会阶段、报告阶段和三读。上议院可以修改和拖延法案最长一年，但下议院可以在下一会期重新提出法案，并利用《议会法》绕过上议院。御准只是形式，自1707年以来从未被拒绝。

5. Executive-Legislative Relations | 行政与立法关系

The relationship between the executive and the legislature is a defining difference. In the United States, the president is separately elected and cannot be removed by Congress simply for losing its confidence. This creates a divided government when one party controls the presidency and the other controls one or both chambers of Congress. The president has no guaranteed majority in Congress, which can lead to gridlock.

行政与立法之间的关系是一个决定性的差异。在美国，总统单独选举产生，国会不能仅仅因为失去对其信任而罢免总统。当一个政党控制总统职位，而另一个政党控制国会一院或两院时，就会形成分裂政府。总统在国会中没有保证的多数，这可能导致僵局。

In the UK, the executive is formed from the party or coalition that commands a majority in the House of Commons. The prime minister and cabinet are collectively responsible to Parliament and must resign if they lose a vote of no confidence. This fusion of powers usually produces stable government with a guaranteed legislative majority, unless the government has a small majority or is a minority government.

在英国，行政部门由在下议院拥有多数的政党或联盟组成。首相和内阁集体对议会负责，如果失去不信任投票就必须辞职。这种权力融合通常产生稳定的政府，并拥有有保障的立法多数，除非政府多数微弱或是少数政府。

6. Party Discipline and Voting | 政党纪律与投票行为

Party discipline is much weaker in the US Congress than in the UK Parliament. American legislators rely on their own campaigns and local support to win elections, so they are more likely to vote against their party leadership. Party whips in Congress have limited sanctions, and primary elections give voters the power to replace incumbents who deviate from local preferences.

美国国会的政党纪律远弱于英国议会。美国议员依靠自己的竞选活动和地方支持赢得选举，因此更有可能反对本党领导层。国会党鞭的制裁手段有限，而初选使选民有权替换偏离地方偏好的现任议员。

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