Station 1 The United States Congress represents the diverse interests of the American people The key concept is representation. But representation of what? Most students (and most Americans) do not fully appreciate the scope and variety of interests encompassed by our citizens. Yet it is the Congress s job to represent and reconcile these interests. The process of doing that often leads to the compromising, negotiating, and bargaining that is not only the essence of legislative activity but also is the source of much of the public cynicism about Congress. Understanding what it is that representatives and senators represent will yield a more realistic appreciation of what is possible for Congress to achieve.
Station 2 The people are represented in two ways: as states in the Senate and as 435 equally-populated, singlemember districts in the House of Representatives Every citizen is represented in Congress in two ways by three people. Each citizen has two U.S. senators who represent them as residents of a state. Each citizen also has one U.S. representative who speaks for them as a resident of a congressional district. Senators and representatives thus face different challenges, yet they must somehow reach agreement from these different perspectives. The system as a whole is designed for stability rather than quick change, a fact that sometimes frustrates people
Station 3 The one hundred senators are elected for six years, with one-third of the Senate elected every second year; the 435 representatives are elected every second year from districts drawn up by state legislatures after each decennial census Students should know that their representatives in Congress are elected at different times for different length terms. These procedures prevent wholesale changes in the membership of the House and Senate on the one hand and, on the other, permit voters to express their opinions at the ballot box at different times. That senators have six-year terms, for example, may help them vote more independently than House members, who have to run for re-election every two years.
Station 4 The different forms of representation (including differences in terms of office and size of the body) affect how the House and Senate legislate The basic point is that the two chambers approach their law-making responsibilities differently. The larger House, with 435 members, is more formal and structured than the Senate, with 100 members. Sheer size makes it impossible to run the House like the Senate. Because House members terms are shorter at two years, they are more attuned to their constituents, too, and that has implications for lawmaking. One can see the difference, for example, by watching debates - House debate is more constrained by rules. Contrasts in the books of rules for the two chambers also prove the point.
Station 5 Lawmaking is a primary responsibility of Congress, along with the "power of the purse" and overseeing and investigating the execution of laws Perhaps this point states the obvious. But any understanding of Congress must start with its primary responsibility: to make laws. Article I of the Constitution grants such important powers to Congress that it is likely the most powerful legislature in the world. The process of how laws are made is important to know, as well. Often the procedure is depicted in a "How a Bill Becomes Law" chart. While this approach has merit, many educators today look for ways to convey the "messiness of democracy" the bargaining, compromising, and arguing, that is inherent in law-making.
Station 6 Political parties organize both houses of Congress, including the selection of leaders The two major political parties organize the two chambers, choose their leaders, and develop the legislative agenda. Although both the House and the Senate are characterized by a good deal of individualism and decentralization, the parties and leaders serve a unifying function. Members of the majority party (having at least 51 senators or 218 representatives) chair the committees, hire the staff, schedule the chambers business, and determine the pace of work. Parties also provide an element of cohesion during votes.
Station 7 Committees are important in both chambers for preparing bills; they are critical in the House of Representatives It is in committees and subcommittees that legislators craft the bills that eventually become law. Committees gather information, hold hearings, and bargain over the details of bills and resolutions before the entire membership votes on measures. Most proposed bills die in committee they are never reported out. Among the various types of committees, standing committees are probably the most important. They deal with most major policies, such as banking, commerce, public works, education, foreign policy, and general governmental affairs. Committee assignments are often the key to a lawmaker s career, too. Members seek assignments that they believe will help them win reelection, exert influence within the chamber, and affect the nature of legislation.
Station 8 The president has a vital role in the lawmaking process - he can recommend programs, sign or veto bills, and implement laws Presidents cannot actually introduce bills, but they can propose them and help build public support for action in Congress. Their power in the legislative arena is not absolute by any means, but they are usually more able than congressional leaders to focus attention, identify the leading issues, and publicize them. Further, by vetoing or threatening to veto legislation, presidents can have extraordinary influence over what Congress does.
Station 9 The Supreme Court has the power of "judicial review" by which a bill passed by Congress and signed into law by the president may be declared unconstitutional Congress does not act alone in producing laws. Nor is lawmaking strictly a partnership between the Congress and the president. U.S. courts have powers to curtail action by other parts of government, including Congress and the White House. They may even tell those bodies what to do. Under the principle of judicial review, the Supreme Court has the right, when there is a case before them, to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional and therefore null and void. Of course, in our system of checks and balances, the president and Congress have influence over the courts, too. The main point here is interdependence among the three branches as it relates to lawmaking. Or as John C. Calhoun stated in 1817: "the prevailing principle is not so much a balance of power as a well-connected chain of responsibility... This, then is the essence of our liberty; Congress is responsible to the people immediately, and the other branches are responsible to it."
Station 10 The costs of winning a Senate or House election have increased dramatically in recent years, thus contributing to cynicism about Congress and to support for campaign finance reform Public opinion polls suggest that the public s current unhappiness with Congress stems partly from the belief that members of Congress spend too much time raising money for campaigns, and that campaign donors have special access to members. The statistics are unmistakable: the costs of running for the U.S. Senate or House have risen dramatically in recent years. As a result, one of the most vexing public policy issues of the day is campaign finance reform. But are the public s assumptions about money and influence correct? Do members pay undue attention to donors? Are some interests under-represented because they don t have money to contribute to campaigns? What are the implications if the conventional wisdom is wrong?