Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress: The Impact of Congress

Vocabulary

bill: A legislative proposal which would make law if it passes both the House and Senate and if it receives Presidential approval.

constituents: A group of citizens represented by an elected official and living in his or her specific district.

federal agencies: Divisions of the government whose job it is to enforce and administer laws by issuingregulations.

House of Representatives: One of the two houses of Congress. The number of Representatives from each state is determined by the state’s population.

public policy: A decision, law, or otheraction of government that addresses problems and issues. Some policies are passed into laws, and some policies are contained in rules and regulations.

Senate: One of the two houses of Congress. Every state has two Senators.

Teaching Suggestions

Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress: The Impact of Congress can be used to teach students in grades 7 through 12 the role government plays in their lives. These commentaries can also be incorporated in lessons about representative democracy and the legislative process. Below are some ideas on how you can use Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress in your classroom. These suggestions span a range of subjects and skill levels, so not every idea will apply to your situation. Choose what works best for your students.

The Impact of Local, State, and National Governments

Ask students to read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Talk about how government impacts citizens. Divide the class into three groups. Have the first group go to the local library, conduct a search on the Internet, or interview a local elected official and find out what the role and responsibilities are of the local government. Each student in this group should then write a paper that explains how the local government affects his or her life. Have the second group go to the local library, conduct a search on the Internet, or interview a state representative and find out what the role and responsibilities are of the state government. Each student in this group should then write a paper that explains how the state government affects his or her life. Have the third group go to the local library, conduct a search on the Internet, or interview a current or former U.S. Representative or Senator and find out what the role and responsibilities are of the national government. Each student in this group should then write a paper that explains how the national government affects his or her life. If time permits, allow students to present their paper to the class.

How the Government Impacts People of All Ages

Have students read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Discuss the impact of government on the students’ everyday lives. Divide the class into six groups. Assign each group one of the following age groups: 13 – 17, 18 – 29, 30 – 40, 41 – 50, 51 – 60, and 61 and older. Tell students to interview at least two people in their assigned age groups and find out how government affects their lives. Have students discuss their interviews with their group members. Then ask each group to create a multimedia presentation that explains how the government impacts people in their assigned age group.

The Impact of Pending Legislation

Ask students to read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Talk about how the government has impacted their lives. Have students visit the Senate Web site and look at the Active Legislation list. Tell students to choose one bill from this list and go to an Internet search engine, orthe THOMAS Web site, to learn more about this bill. Have students create an oral presentation that describes the bill, explains who will be impacted by this bill, and describes how they will be impacted.

The Impact of Government on School Activities

As a class, generate a list of things that take place during a typical school day. Write this list on a chalkboard, whiteboard, or overhead projector. Discuss the role of government in these activities. Have students create a multimedia presentation that explains the impact of government in school activities. Allow students to share their presentations. Then have students read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress and discuss how the government impacts their daily activities in and out of school. If there is time, have them work through the e-learning module “An Ordinary Day” on the Center on Congress at Indiana University Web site, which describes many laws that impact on an ordinary day.

Standards

You can address many state standards when you incorporate Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress into lessons. Please select your state to view the corresponding standards.