Congress
Definition
Congress is the legislative branch of the United States federal government. It consists of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and is responsible for making laws, approving budgets, and overseeing government activities.
Analogy
Think of Congress as a group project team in school. Just like different students with different roles come together to work on a project, members of Congress from different states and districts come together to make decisions that affect the entire country.
Related terms
Legislation: This term refers to laws or proposed laws created by Congress.
Appropriations: This term refers to the process through which Congress allocates funds for specific purposes such as government programs or infrastructure projects.
Oversight: This term refers to Congress's responsibility to monitor and review executive branch agencies and ensure they are acting within their legal authority.
"Congress" appears in:
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.