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?