How Congress Works And Why You Should Care By Lee Hamilton

Ever since the creation of Congress, it has not been uncommon to hear or see negative criticisms about it. Congress has evolved from when it was created, but the role it plays has not changed. Even though there are many criticisms about the ways on how Congress is run, the system is an important and essential part of the United States government. Integral it may be, but today, many people find it difficult to answer the questions of how Congress works, what it does, and why it exists. In Lee Hamilton’s How Congress Works and Why you Should Care, the author shows what Congress actually does do and how it affects the American people every single day. Despite all of the dubiousness and negativity surrounding it, Congress does actually work and

This balance ensures that with all of the other parts of the government, the opinions of the people of the United States are heard and represented by Congress in the government. It also ensures that after the decisions are made, it would be possible to respect them. Hamilton states this in his book, “The basic idea of balance is that no one part of government dominates the other. And it means that the decisions emerging from a process in which everyone has the right to participate are, in a sense, shared decisions, carrying with them a sense of authority and legitimacy” (Hamilton, 7). Balance is important in the American government because without it, there would be nothing to prevent the abuse and concentration of power. The Constitution and its system of checks and balances help with this. In his book, Hamilton explains the system of checks and balances and shows how the different parts of the government would not be able to run if one did not have the

They work hard to pass laws and bills. Many of these laws and bills help to better the lives of the people, but most of these laws and bills are likely unknown to the people. Congress also helps with things like roads, highways, and transportation. Recently, DOT, the Department of Transportation, signed an agreement for a light-rail line to be built in Maryland. It will improve transportation between traffic-congested areas. Hamilton also talks about many members of congress who have done notable things, for example, ‘“Representative Edith Green of Oregon, often called the “mother of higher education,” whose Higher Education Act of 1965 created the federal student aid program, which has helped millions of undergraduates over the years”’ (Hamilton, 40). He also talks about, “Representatives Hale Boggs of Louisiana and George Fallon of Maryland, who shaped the 1956 Federal Interstate Highway Act, which has had an enormous impact on almost every facet of American life” (Hamilton, 40). Many people complain of a “do-nothing” Congress, yet many acts, laws, and bills go unnoticed by