American Government › Section K · Congress › Topic K.4
How the House and Senate are organized
With 535 members and thousands of bills, Congress could not function without structure. Party leaders decide what reaches the floor, and committees do most of the detailed work, so knowing who holds these posts tells you a great deal about what Congress will do.
In this topic
- Parties run the chambers
- The Speaker of the House
- Leaders and whips in the House
- Worked example: electing a Speaker
- Leadership in the Senate
- Why committees matter
- Four kinds of committee
- Seats, chairs and seniority
- Worked example: a committee ratio
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
This topic is part of Wuanberri Pro. Checking your access…