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As established by Article I of the Constitution, Congress is divided into two distinct yet complementary parts: the House of Representatives, in which each member represents a relatively equal number of citizens; and the Senate, where del- egates represent the entire state from which they are elected. Each body of Congress appoints its own leaders and functions by its own rules, but both play very similar roles in passing new legislation. The House and the Senate are further divided into committees, which provide expert focus on specific issues of proposed legislation prior to communicating to the entire Congress. This chapter provides an introduc- tion to these key roles in the legislative process.

An overview of the legislative branch.

The House of Representatives Truly the cornerstone of our democracy, the House of Representatives provides equal representation in Congress for every citizen of the United States, regardless of sex, race, economic status, or state of residence. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 members, each of whom represents an area of the country called a congressional district . The residents of a district choose the person they want to represent them in the House of Representatives by participating in general elections every two years. Once elected to Congress, representatives are the voices of their district residents, known as constituents , in the lawmaking process. Every 10 years, the United States conducts a census to count its citizens. State governments then use population data generated by the census to redefine congres- sional districts, ensuring that each member represents a similar number of con- stituents. As a result, more populous states have more representatives in Congress. California, for example, has 53 districts based on 2010 census data of 37.3 million residents, whereas Idaho, with 1.6 million, has just two districts. Although a greater number of representatives does not necessarily translate to greater power for a state, crafty governors can redraw district boundaries to attempt to gain presence for their political parties in Congress.

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How laws are passed