From the Book - Regular Print
Core Principle: Sovereignty of the People 4 --
Core Principle: Balancing Powers in Government 6 --
Congress and the President 9 --
Why Federalism Works 11 --
Key Power: Passing the Basic Laws of the Land 13 --
Key Power: Controlling the Purse 16 --
Key Power: Shaping Foreign Policy 18 --
Congress and Individual Liberties 21 --
Roots of Our Success 23 --
2 Impact of Congress 26 --
Congress and the Fabric of Our Lives 27 --
Government's Greatest Endeavors 29 --
Congress Does More Work than Meets the Eye 33 --
A Balanced View of Congress 35 --
Members of Congress Who Had an Impact 37 --
3 How Congress Works 42 --
A Complex Institution 43 --
An Evolving Institution 45 --
Many Roles of a Member of Congress 48 --
Representing Constituents 52 --
How a Bill Really Becomes Law 55 --
Why We Need More Politicians 59 --
House and the Senate 65 --
Awesome Responsibility of Voting 68 --
Frustrations and Rewards of Congress 72 --
4 Public Criticisms of Congress 75 --
"Legislators Are a Bunch of Crooks" 76 --
"There's Too Much Wasteful, Pork-Barrel Spending by Congress" 78 --
"Legislators Just Bicker and Never Get Anything Done" 80 --
"You Can't Trust What Members of Congress Say" 82 --
"Congress Almost Seems Designed to Promote Total Gridlock" 85 --
"Members of Congress Compromise Too Much" 86 --
"There's Too Much Money in Politics Today" 89 --
"Members Are Out of Touch with Their Constituents" 90 --
"1Congress Is Run by Lobbyists and Special Interests" 93 --
5 Key Ways Congress Could Work Better 97 --
Importance of Good Process 100 --
Better White House/Congress Consultation 103 --
True Congressional Oversight 106 --
Improving Ethics Enforcement 108 --
Thinking about the Future 111 --
Improving Public Understanding of Congress 117 --
Tackling the Tough Issues 118 --
Congress and the Common Good 120 --
6 Civic Participation 124 --
A Failure to Communicate 125 --
Being More Involved in the Work of Congress 128 --
Cornerstones of Active Citizenship 132 --
Making Your Views Known to Congress 134 --
Individuals Who Have Made a Difference 138 --
Can the People Govern? 141 --
Strengthening Representative Democracy 144 --
Appendix Communicating with Congress 149.