Vocabulary

Bill of Rights: The first 10 amendments of the U.S. Constitution. These ten amendments protect the individual liberties of Americans.

branches of government: The United States has three separate branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch of government is made up of the Congress and three congressional agencies. The Constitution gives the legislative branch the power to make laws. The executive branch is responsible for executing laws. It consists of the President, Vice President, the Cabinet, all the executive departments, and several administrative agencies. The judicial branch of government interprets laws. It is made up of the court system, from the Supreme Court down.

checks and balances: A system of limits outlined in the U.S. Constitution. It distributes power among the three branches of government and gives each branch some authority over the activities of the other branches.

common good: Beliefs or actions that benefit society as a whole.

conservative: A person who prefers change to be gradual. A conservative generally opposes the expansion of governmental activities and prefers solutions to problems to come from the private sector rather than from government.

federalism: A system of government in which some powers are delegated to either national or state government, and other powers are shared between the two levels.

Founders: The 18 th Century Americans who led the fight to freedom and founded our government are referred to as the “Founders” or “Founding Fathers.”

Framers: People who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 as delegates and helped write the Constitution, or who were involved in writing the Bill of Rights.

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

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

levels of government: In the United States, powers are delegated or shared among the levels of government: national, state, and local.

liberal: A person who favors political reform and social change and who supports expanded governmental programs to help solve social problems.

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.

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

sovereign: In the United States the people are sovereign. This means the people have the supreme power.

Teaching Suggestions

Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress: The Role of Congress can be used to teach students in grades 7 through 12 about the legislative branch of government and 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.

Examples of Federalism

Review the term federalism with students. Make sure students understand that in a federalist system of government some powers are delegated to either national or state government, and other powers are shared between the two levels. Ask students to read The Federalist 45. Discuss James Madison’s vision of how federalism would work. Then have students read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Explain to students that the balance of power within the federal system has changed since Madison’s time. Discuss how federalism works today. Have students find at least two examples of federalism in a recent newspaper or magazine article. Ask students to share their examples with the class.

Separation of Powers

Discuss the separation of powers in government. Have students refer to Articles I, II, and III of the U.S. Constitution and find examples that show how the powers of government are separated among the three branches of government. Then talk about the system of checks and balances. Ask students to identify three examples of checks and balances in the U.S. Constitution. Have students read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Discuss how the separation of powers in government and the system of checks and balances has helped our system of government survive for so many years.

Examining the Role of Congress

Distribute copies of the U.S. Constitution to students. Ask students to read Article I, Section 8. Ask students to list the powers granted to Congress by the Constitution. Then have students read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Discuss the role of Congress today. Ask students to list any powers of Congress that are not included in the Constitution that they believe should be. Students should also name powers that they think should not be included in the Constitution. Have students explain why they think these powers should be added or deleted.

What Would the Founders Think?

Discuss what the Founders had in mind for Congress when they set it up.Then have students read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress and discuss the role of Congress today. Ask students to write a paper that explains whether or not they think Congress has lived up to the expectations of the Founding Fathers.

Comparing Governments

Review the terms representative democracy and federalism with students. Ask students to read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Discuss the advantages of our system of government. Tell students that our country would be vastly different if the Framers had placed power in the hands of a single ruler or given much less voice to the American people. Have students compare our form of government with other forms of government and ask them to write a paper that explains why our system has been relatively successful compared to other forms of government.

Congress and the President

Ask students to read Lee Hamilton’s Comments on Congress. Discuss the relationship between the President and Congress. Divide the class into three groups. Ask the first group to look at newspapers, magazines, or online news sources and read articles about public policy issues. Have students in this group look for examples of when the President and Congress have worked together to formulate public policy. This group should also find examples of when the President and Congress have not cooperated with each other. Ask the second group to look at newspapers, magazines, or online news sources and read articles about foreign policy. Have students in this group look for examples of when the President and Congress have worked together to formulate foreign policy. This group should also find examples of when the President and Congress have not cooperated with each other. Ask the third group to look at newspapers, magazines, or online news sources and read articles about the federal budget. Have students in this group analyze the interaction among the President and Congress during the federal budget process. Have each group share their findings. Discuss how the President and Congress interact with each other.

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.

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