Back to Interactions Among Branches of Government

Lesson PreviewLesson 2 of 15 in this unit

2.2 Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress

Part of Interactions Among Branches of Government in AP® US Government & Politics. Read the opening section, then create a free account for the full interactive lesson, practice, and progress tracking.

Start free

The effectiveness of Congress depends heavily on its internal organization, particularly the committee system. Standing committees specialize in policy areas such as finance, defense, or education, allowing members to develop expertise and manage the legislative workload. Committee chairs, selected based on party leadership and seniority, wield significant influence over which bills advance. As a result, much of the legislative process occurs outside the public eye, long before a bill reaches the floor.

In this unit

15 lessons

  1. 2.1Congress: The Senate and the House of RepresentativesPreview lesson
  2. 2.2Structures, Powers, and Functions of CongressThis lesson
  3. 2.3Congressional BehaviorPreview lesson
  4. 2.4Roles and Powers of the PresidentPreview lesson
  5. 2.5Checks on the PresidencyPreview lesson
  6. 2.6Expansion of Presidential PowerPreview lesson
  7. 2.7Presidential CommunicationPreview lesson
  8. 2.8The Judicial BranchPreview lesson
  9. 2.9The Role of the Judicial BranchOpen lesson
  10. 2.10The Court in ActionOpen lesson
  11. 2.11Checks on the Judicial BranchOpen lesson
  12. 2.12The BureaucracyOpen lesson
  13. 2.13Discretionary and Rulemaking AuthorityOpen lesson
  14. 2.14Holding the Bureaucracy AccountableOpen lesson
  15. 2.15Policy and the Branches of GovernmentOpen lesson

Continue the full lesson in Stellar

Create a free account to unlock the remaining sections, checkpoints, course practice, and progress tracking for AP® US Government & Politics.

Start free