ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses what role did the Founders see for the Congress within the broader American political system. It discusses how has Congress organized to do its work and what are the key forces or influences that affect congressional deliberation and decision. The chapter describes the budgetary process as an example of how Congress works with the president and others to craft the nation’s annual spending plan. The federal Constitution that went into effect in 1789 described a national government in which Congress was to play the central role. The membership of Congress has always been drawn from the nation’s economic, social, and educational elite. Members come disproportionately from the worlds of law and business, although lifetime public service has become increasingly common. Political parties span the separation of powers and integrate the disparate institutions and actors of the American political system.
