The teachers who attended Congress in the Classroom® 2010 identified the most important “things” to teach about Congress. Their list follows:

1. The role of compromise and bargaining.

2. The role of personality and political saavy in effective legislating.

3. The role of citizens and how they influence their representatives and, therefore, Congress.

4. Congress is a complex institution.

5. Students need to observe or experience the day-to-day work of a Congress member.

6. Congress is an institution comprised of people—and not members only.

7. What Congress does affects students in their daily lives; understanding Congress will help make them better citizens.

8. Congress does not stand alone; it is integrated into the whole of government.

9. Process matters.

10. Congress members respond to their constituents.

11. Elections matter.

12. Congress embodies the messy processes inherent to American demoncracy.

The Center’s Frank Mackaman suggested one approach to organizing information about Congress, what he called the Four “P’s” of Congress:

The Four “Ps” of Congress

Place

Place in the sense of context. What happens in Congress does not take place in a vacuum. Elements of “place” include the partisan landscape, the nature of the nation’s issue agenda, relationships between Congress and other branches of government, the characteristics of a member’s district or state, congressional elections, the public’s perception of Congress, and the Capitol Hill campus itself.

Processes

Much of the scholarship on Congress deals with processes broadly defined. Elements of “process” include Constitutional provisions and the structure of Congress, congressional powers, committees, the law-making process, floor procedures and voting, and reform efforts.

People

Congress is more than a constitutional entity and a set of processes. It is a community, too. The people who serve and work there matter. Elements of “people” include senators and representatives, congressional leaders as a subset of the membership, staff,  and factors that influence member behavior (e.g., decision-making) such as constituents, lobbyists and interest groups, and cultural norms.

Products

Eventually, what Congress does or does not do has an impact, a result. To borrow a concept from corporate America, Congress produces a product. Elements of “product” include the laws and public policies created by legislative action, congressional oversight of public policy, and the ability of Congress to draw attention to issues.