How does Congress differ from Parliament?

Congress is characterized by having a bicameral legislature, which means it is divided into two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. This structure allows for a system of checks and balances within the legislative process. Each chamber has distinct roles and responsibilities, and legislation must be approved by both before it can become law.

In contrast, many parliamentary systems, such as the UK, have a single legislative body, and their process for passing legislation typically differs. Understanding the bicameral nature of Congress is crucial to grasping how legislative power is structured in the United States and how it contrasts with other systems like that of Parliament, which may have different procedural rules.

The other answer choices do not accurately reflect the structure or functioning of Congress. For instance, Congress does not have a unicameral legislature, does not allow for immediate law passage without debate, and does not require a supermajority for all decisions—it requires a simple majority for most legislation, although some specific types of legislation do require a supermajority.