Lesson 21: What is the Role of Congress in American Constitutional Democracy?

Lesson Objectives

When you have finished this lesson, you should be  able to

• explain basic differences between Congress and the British Parliament and how Congress reflects America’s commitment to representative government and federalism,
• identify several constitutional sources of congressional power,
• identify some of the challenges that members of Congress face in representing and serving their constituents, and
• to evaluate, take, and defend positions on contemporary issues about congressional representation and organization.