Vocabulary

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

bipartisan support: Legislation has bipartisan support when the two major parties support the bill.

committee: Committees are panels of the House or Senate, created to do the initial review of proposed legislation and to decide which measures are worthy of further consideration by the full House or Senate. The committees are each assigned various policy categories to handle, known as jurisdiction. The House and Senate each have about 20 permanent standing committees; they also have select committees and joint committees. Every Representative in the House is assigned to work on an average of two committees; while Senators are assigned to an average of four. Members are expected to become specialists in the subject matter under their committee’s jurisdiction.

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

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

U.S. Representative: An elected official who represents citizens of a particular district within a state in the House of Representatives.

U.S. Senator: An elected official who represents citizens of a particular state in the Senate.

Teaching Suggestions

Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress: Members of Congress and What They Do can be used to teach students in grades 7 through 12 about Congress. 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.

A Day in the Life of a Member of Congress

Ask students to read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Talk about the job of a Congressman/woman. Invite one of your representatives to visit the class. Ask the representative to describe a typical day on the job, including the number of phone calls, letters, and e-mails from constituents he or she receives. Have students create a story about a day in the life of a Member of Congress. If your representative is unable to visit the class, you may want to contact a former Member of Congress. To find contact information for a former Member of Congress, visit the United States Association of Former Members of Congress Web site at: http://www.usafmc.org/default.asp?pagenumber=1

Qualities of a Good Candidate

Have students read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Discuss the job of a Member of Congress. Also talk about what makes a good politician. As a class, generate a list of qualities students will look for when deciding which Congressional candidate to vote for. Discuss why students think these qualities are important.

A Closer Look at the Job of a Member of Congress

Have students read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Talk about the job of a Member of Congress. Assign portions from one of the books listed below. Ask students to create an oral presentation about the role of a Member of Congress from the author’s perspective.

The Congressional Experience, 2 nd Ed. ( Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2000) by Congressman David E. Price

Honor in the House: Speaker Tom Foley (Pullman: Washington State University Press, 1999) by Jeffrey R. Biggs and Thomas S. Foley

Representative Mom: Balancing Budgets, Bill, and Baby in the U.S. Congress (New York: Doubleday, 1998) by former Representative Susan Molinari with Elinor Burkett

Man of the House:The Life and Political Memoirs of Speaker Tip O'Neill (Boston: G.K. Hall, 1988) by Former Speaker Tip O’Neill with William Novak

Declaration of Conscience (New York: Doubleday, 1972) by former Senator Margaret Chase Smith, edited by William C. Lewis, Jr.

P.S.: The Autobiography of Paul Simon (Chicago, Ill.: Bonus Books, 1999) by former Senator Paul Simon

Diary of a Congressman (Norfolk: The Donning Company Publishers, 1983) by G. William Whitehurst (out of print)

Will You Run For Office?

Ask students to read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Discuss the job of a Member of Congress. Have students write a letter or send an e-mail to one of their local representatives and ask him or her to explain why he or she decided to run for office and describe some of the benefits and frustrations of being a Member of Congress. Ask students to write a paper that discusses if they would run for congressional office in the future and explains why or why not. Each paper should include a job description and some of the pros and cons of being a Member of Congress.

What Do Members of Congress Do?

Ask students to read Article I of the United States Constitution. Discuss the roles and responsibilities of Congress, as outlined in the Constitution. Tell students to generate a list of things they think Members of Congress must do in order to fulfill their responsibilities. Have students read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Discuss the job of a Member of Congress. Allow students to add items to their list that they did not think of before. As an extension activity, you may also want to h ave students read “The Many Roles of a Member of Congress” on the Center on Congress at Indiana University Web site.

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:

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Lesson Plan Feedback

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