Institute of International Relations
USA Congress Model
05-06 May 2018
Athens
The Simulation
Two Days of Powerful Talks
05 - 06 May 2018
In this unique seminar, the participants will have the opportunity to be a part of the American legislative process and experience first-hand the obstacles as well as the thrill of passing a bill in the American Congress. Academic experts will give brief lectures at the beginning of the seminar in order to provide the delegates with a better understanding of the US political system and legislation. This year's "Gun Control" bill will be a great challenge for both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively. An even greater challenge will be for the Conference Committee - consisting of members both from the House (Republican majority) and the Senate (Democratic Majority) - to find a way to merge the House bill and the Senate bill. Are you ready to be a part of Uncle Sam and change American Society? Do you have what it takes in order to represent your state?
Senators, Congressmen, Congresswomen, let the debates begin!
2
Chambers
1
Bill
50
States
2
Political Parties
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
What is the institute of international relations?
The Institute of International Relations (IIR) is the result of the long-term effort to create an entity that would coordinate the research and learning programs for international relations specialists of the department of International, European and Area Studies of Panteion University, while laying the foundation for collaboration with similar foreign academic entities. The IIR, which was founded in 1989 by professor Dimitris Konstas, is a Research University Institute, correlated with Panteion University and the department of International, European and Area Studies.
THE United States CONGRESS
Senate
The Senate constitutes one of the two houses in the United States Congress.
The states are equally represented in the Senate and therefore each state elects two Senators regardless of its population so the overall number of Senators is 100. US Senators serve six-year terms. While the President of the Senate is the Vice-President of the United States, the most influential member of the Senate is usually the Majority Leader (a Republican Party Senator for this year's simulation). Apart from the legislative authority shared with the House of Representatives, the Senate is mostly responsible for the impeachment of government officials and the approval of the President's appointees to governmental and judicial posts as well as the ratification of treaties signed by the Executive Branch ("Advice and Consent" powers).
House of representatives
The House of Representatives, the second house in the United States Congress, is the chamber where the people of the country are represented and therefore the number of a state's representatives depends on the population of each state separated in congressional districts. Each Representative serves the people of their congressional district. The overall number of Representatives is fixed by law at 435. The Speaker of the House is the leader and usually the most influential member of the House. Each Representative serves a two-year term and it is within their responsibilities to introduce bills and participate in committee work. The House and the Senate share equal responsibility for lawmaking. The House, however, has the exclusive power to introduce revenue bills and to initiate the impeachment process.
Speakers
Proud to bring inspirational academics
Prof. Harry Papasotiriou
Harry Papasotiriou is Professor of International Relations at Panteion University and Director of the Institute of International Relations, Athens, Greece. He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford and got an MA and a Ph.D. (1992) from Stanford's Political Science Department. He is co-author of America Since 1945: The American Moment (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005, second edition 2010) and has published books and articles on the Balkans since the end of the Cold War, the War of Greek Independence, Byzantine grand strategy, American politics and foreign policy, the role of the diaspora in Greek foreign policy and international politics in the twenty-first century.
Prof. Kostas A. Lavdas
Professor of European Politics at Panteion University, Athens. Before joining Panteion University, he was Constantine Karamanlis Professor of Hellenic and European Studies at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA. Professor Lavdas was born in Athens and was educated in Greece, Britain, and the USA. He has published extensively in English, German, and Greek on European politics, comparative politics, and the evolution of transatlantic relations. He has been a consultant to public and private organizations and has taught and researched at universities and research centers in Europe and the USA, including The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, the University of Manchester, the London School of Economics and the University of Crete where he served as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs. His publications include seven books, many chapters in edited volumes and papers in international refereed journals (including European Journal of Political Research, West European Politics, Journal of Political and Military Sociology, Politics).
