Module 3: Congress

The role of the legislative branch is to enact, amend, and sometimes repeal public policy. In this module, you learned how the legislative branch is divided into a bicameral legislature, collectively known as Congress. A state's representation in the House is directly proportionate to its population. The Senate provides all states with equal representation, allowing every state two seats.

You learned how both houses are organized, from the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate who serve as leaders, to the Majority and Minority Leaders who organize their parties and make sure they run efficiently, to the Congressional committees where legislative responsiblities are divided and distributed.

You also learned more about the system of checks and balances and how the legislative branch prevents the executive and judicial branches from gaining too much power. It is important to remember that while Congress creates laws, individuals and interest groups can influence public policy by identifying issues, lobbying, petitioning, meeting representatives in person, and even blogging. That is why you learned how new legislation is created in Congress and the power that individuals and interest groups have when it comes to influencing public policy. While this may seem like a lot of information to take in, it is important to understand the work that the national government does so that you have the ability to be an effective citizen.

Please complete this brief online survey to provide feedback about the course.