Explains the role of the Vice-President of the United States as leader and President of the Senate, and how leadership in the Senate differs from that in the House of Representatives.

Prior to the 17th Amendment, which passed in 1917, Senators were appointed by state legislatures. After the 12th Amendment in 1804, the Vice-Presidents were detached from the Senate and only served to break a tie vote.

Explains the role a whip plays in the House of Representatives, which is to monitor members for their adherence to the party agenda.

Resolutions in Congress can be simple or joint. They can be proposals for laws, for constitutional amendments, or for other matters.

The lengthy process a bill must go through before it becomes a law is explained.

Bills are assigned to one or more committees when they first enter the House of Representatives or the Senate. They are examined, amended, then go to a hearing, which is often public, for further scrutiny.

Mark-up sessions are committee meetings that happen at a later stage in the process a bill goes through before a final vote in the Senate or the House.

A conference committee is comprised of members from both chambers of Congress. It tries to resolve differences between the House and the Senate over the content of a bill. It issues a conference report to both chambers for a vote.

Even when a bill is passed by Congress, it still must be signed by the President, who may decide to veto it. If this happens, Congress can also override that veto through a new vote in both chambers.

At every stage in the process of becoming a law, a bill is scrutinized and must have majority support for it in order to be moved along.

Congress has played a major role in the protection of Americans' rights that includes writing the Bill of Rights, amendments to it, and landmark legislation.

Landmark legislation is created by Congress when there is a need for it, such as to address inequality or to protect workers' rights.

Describes the reasons that a member of Congress initiates a new piece of legislation, things that need to be considered in proposing it, and resources available to them for a thorough analysis.

Each president presents their agenda to Congress in an annual State of the Union address. Proposals are then delivered to Congress, which usually passes them.

Consitutents have many ways of influencing politicians and letting them know what their priorities are, for example, through petitions, blogs, and letters.

In today's episode, we examine how referendum and recall works in the states.