For 2302's written assignment, here are links to a couple places where you might find specific areas of controversy between these institutions. Both come from "Wonkbook" which I find to be a pretty good go-to source for general information about federal activities. These might help you with this week's written assignment.
1 - Moody's says it may downgrade US debt if the debt limit isn't increased, report Zachary Goldfarb and Felicia Sonmez: "Moody’s Investors Service warned Thursday that it may soon downgrade the U.S. credit rating because of mounting concerns that the government will default, adding new urgency to negotiations between President Obama and congressional Republicans over the nation’s debt. Moody’s, one of the premier credit-rating agencies, said that political gamesmanship over raising the government’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling has been worse than expected. If progress toward increasing the limit isn’t made by mid-July, Moody’s said it would take another step toward reducing the country’s top-of-the-line AAA rating by putting the United States under review for a possible downgrade."
2 - It's do-or-die time for many Obama nominees, report Abby Phillip and Josh Gerstein: "It’s crunch time for the White House to get key executive branch jobs filled before the end of President Barack Obama’s first term. Dozens of top posts in both the executive branch and the judiciary remain vacant, while some of those who started near the beginning of the administration are bailing out. Nominees who aren’t confirmed by the Senate by the end of this year likely will become tangled in election-year politics, given Republican hopes of taking the White House, the Senate or both. If Obama wants a good shot at getting his nominees through this year, Hill veterans say, names need to reach the Senate by the summer recess. Adding to the heightened urgency for action: Many of the unfilled posts deal with Obama’s major policy priorities, including financial regulatory reform, immigration and health care."
