Arthur Administration - Arthur and Congress
Arthur and Congress
Chester Arthur was president during the Forty-seventh and Forty-eighth Congresses. In the Forty-seventh Congress, the Senate had equal numbers of Republican and Democratic members and the Republicans held a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. In the Forty-eighth Congress, the Republicans held a majority of seats in both chambers. Arthur enjoyed an amiable relationship with Congress.
One of the reasons for this smooth relationship was that Arthur left Congress alone and did not challenge congressional initiatives. On the other hand, Arthur made many suggestions in his annual messages to Congress. Members of Congress were willing to hear the president's suggestions, but they did not feel compelled to act on them because their political bases were more secure than the president's. Arthur believed that Congress was responsible for the legislative affairs of the country (a field in which Arthur...
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