American Democracy Now, 2nd Edition (Harrison)

Chapter 11: Congress

Chapter Summary

Understanding the constitutional powers of Congress enables citizens to participate more easily in civic engagement. This chapter provides such understanding to students through its explanations of the following:

• The origins of Congress
• Congressional elections
• The powers and functions of Congress
• A comparison of the bodies of Congress
• The legislative process
• The structure and powers of legislative leadership
• Decision-making in Congress from the perspective of political parties, interest groups, the president, and constituents
• The people and their representatives (demographics of Congress)
• A re-examination of Congress's role in American politics