ABSTRACT
The chapter examines the major sources of inputs to Congress—the executive, the interest groups, the courts, and the public. The legislative system does not exist in a vacuum; rather it responds to a variety of demands originating out-side the halls of Congress. Various bases of influence, often substantial, are available to those external to the legislature who would have Congress take some specific action. During congressional deliberation, it continues to serve as a clearinghouse. The president's involvement in the legislative process is not limited to setting Congress' agenda; rather, in a variety of ways, some direct, some indirect, he intervenes in that process to work for the enactment of his program. In the same vein, the president is powerless to change some of the pressures to which members of Congress must respond. The executive branch, whether it is unified or divided, does more than simply make demands on Congress.
