30 Jan How a Bill Becomes a Law

POLS1101 American Government, Short Session 1

Lesson 5 Discussion

Use the information provided in your textbook on the Congress, relevant Internet websites and these two congressional websites to respond to the discussion question below.

Link: http://www.house.gov

Link: http://www.senate.gov/index.htm

How a Bill Becomes a Law may appear to be a fairly straightforward and not all that complex a process if you simply review a typical diagram provided in most textbooks. Despite this straightforward process, many political commentators argue that gridlock – or the inability of Congress to pass meaningful and necessary legislation – dominates the current congressional era. What are the causes and consequences of congressional gridlock?

Activity:

(1) Develop a brief diagram or bullet list for the House of Representatives and one for the Senate showing how a bill may become a law, and

(2) In brief paragraphs, identify and explain the causes for congressional gridlock (for example, political polarization, gerrymandering, etc.). What type of reform would you propose to the legislative process to break the gridlock?

Your initial discussion postings (250-300 words) should demonstrate an understanding and analysis of the assigned readings and video. It may be helpful to reference the assigned material in your response demonstrating connections between your thoughts and the course resources. In addition, you will also need to post two substantial responses (about 150-200words) to at least two of your classmates’ posts.