Vocabulary

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

district: The specific geographical areawithin a state represented by a Member of the House of Representatives. Congressional districts are drawn so that each hasan average of about 650,000 citizens. States with small populations may have only one district — for example, Alaska — while a state like California , which has a large population, has 53 districts.

law: Legislation passed by both the House and Senate in identical form and signed by the President, or passed over his veto.

legislator: An elected official who represents a group of citizens in Congress and helps make laws.

lobbyists: Individuals who represent the causes of a group, organization, association, or industry — or just themselves — and express those views to Members of Congress and congressional committees considering legislation in their areas of interest. Lobbyists must formally register with the Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate and reveal how much money they spend in lobbying. The term comes from the first years of Congress, when many Members of Congress lived in hotels during congressional sessions. People seeking to influence legislation would hang out in the lobby of the hotels seeking to speak to the Members as they came and went.

representative democracy: In a representative democracy, citizens choose a small number of people to represent their interests, negotiate differences, and make laws on their behalf. These people are the representatives of the citizens in their government.

special interest groups: Organizations or associations which represent a specific industry or community of people. Examples are labor unions, retired persons, teachers, insurance agents, doctors, farmers, trial lawyers, or an ethnic or religious community. Corporations and specific industries may organize to protect their interests. Examples are automakers, tobacco growers, agribusinesses, or cable companies.

town meeting: Town meetings are scheduled in one or more towns whenever a Representative or Senator travels back to his District or State. Town meetings are held to give constituents an opportunity to hear the Member speak about his or her activities and voting record in Washington, D.C., and a chance for the general public to ask questions, state their own views, or ask for assistance from their elected representative.

Teaching Suggestions

Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress: How to Learn about and Contact Congress can be used to teach students in grades 7 through 12 about the relationship between Members of Congress and citizens. These commentaries can also be incorporated in lessons about representative democracy. 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.

Where to Go with a Problem

Have students read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress and identify the various ways citizens can make their views known to Congress. Ask the class to generate a list of problems that they would like Congress to address. Write the list on a chalkboard, whiteboard, or an overhead transparency. Have the students examine the list, determine who they should contact about the problem, and describe an effective method of communicating this problem with an elected official.

Make Your Views Known

Distribute copies of Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress and ask students to read them. Have the class create a list of the various ways they can communicate with and influence Members of Congress. Have students create a brochure that explains how to make your views known to Congress. This brochure should also include contact information for their state and local representatives.

Effective Methods of Communication

Ask students to read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Discuss effective methods of communicating with Members of Congress. Have students conduct an Internet search and view the many Web sites which make suggestions on how to communicate effectively and give tips on writing to Members of Congress. Suggest they might call the nearest office of their local, state, or federal representative and ask what that representative likes to see in the communications he or she receives. If there is time, have students work through the e-learning module “Civic Participation” on the Web site of the Center on Congress, which identifies the do’s and don’ts of good communication with elected officials.

The Role of Lobbyists

Distribute copies of Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress, and ask students to read them. Have the class create a list of the various ways they can communicate with and influence Members of Congress. Invite a professional lobbyist to visit your class and discuss his or her role in the legislative process. If you are unable to have a lobbyist speak to your class in person, have students write a letter or send an e-mail message to a lobbyist with questions about how he or she seeks to influence public policy.

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.

Please select your state to view the corresponding standards:

Lesson Plan Feedback

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