The legislative branch, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives, drafts and passes laws, confirms (or rejects) presidential nominations, and can declare war.
House of Representatives
The House of Representatives, often called the House, has 435 members, proportioned among the 50 states by population. There are also non-voting delegates for the District of Columbia and US territories.
Terms are two years, with no term limits.
Web Resources – House of Representatives
The Senate
The Senate is composed of two elected Senators per state, totaling 100.
Senate terms are six years, with no term limits.
Books
This is a small selection of books available in our library. For more, search our catalog.
- America’s Congress: Actions in the Public Sphere, James Madison through Newt Gingrich – by David R Mayhew
- Americans, Congress, and Democratic Responsiveness: Public Evaluations of Congress and Electoral Consequences – by David R Jones and Monika McDermott
- Esteemed Colleagues: Civility and Deliberation in the US Senate – by Burdett A Loomis
- Eyes on Spies: Congress and the United States Intelligence Community – by Amy B Zegart
- Politics or Principle? : Filibustering in the United States Senate – by Sarah A Binder and Steven S Smith
- Strengthening Congress – by Lee Hamilton
- The United States Congress – by Ross M English
Research Resources
Useful Web Resources
- The Congressional Record – a substantially verbatim account of the remarks made by senators and representatives while they are on the floor of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It also includes all bills, resolutions, and motions proposed, as well as debates and roll call votes.
- The Daily Digest – the key to finding information in the Congressional Record. It is much like a table of contents in a book, but is found in the back of each daily edition of the Record. The permanent edition of the Record includes a Daily Digest volume which cumulates each issue for the year.
- Congressional Research Service Reports – provides the public with access to research products produced by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) for the United States Congress. By law, CRS works exclusively for Congress, providing timely, objective, and authoritative research and analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of political party affiliation. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS has been a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill for more than a century.
Databases
- Political Science
- JSTOR
- Humanities & Social Sciences Index Retrospective
- Opposing Viewpoints
- Social Science Database (ProQuest)
You may also wish to check out our Newspapers page.
Disclaimer
This guide is intended to give a general overview of the Constitution and our system of government, as well as some historical information. It may not contain the most up to date legal information and should not be considered legal advice. For help with up to date legal research email us at refdesk@clarkson.edu. For legal advice, please consult an attorney.