The central purpose of this chapter is to describe the Framers' understanding of the role of Congress and to describe the role and organization of Congress today. You should pay particular attention to the effects of organizational characteristics on the behavior of members of Congress and on the way that the House and the Senate perform their functions. After reading and reviewing the material in this chapter, you should be able to do each of the following:

1. Explain the differences between Congress and Parliament.
   
   
2. Delineate the role that the Framers expected Congress to play.
   
   
3. Pinpoint the significant eras in the evolution of Congress.
   
   
4. Describe the characteristics of members of Congress.
   
   
5. Discuss the relationship between ideology and civility in Congress in recent years.
   
   
6. Identify the factors that help to explain why a member of Congress votes as she or he does.
   
   
7. Outline the process for electing members of Congress.
   
   
8. Identify the functions of party affiliation in the organization of Congress.
   
   
9. Explain the effect of committee reform on the organization of Congress.
   
   
10. Describe the formal process by which a bill becomes a law.
    
    
11. Explain the ethical problems confronting Congress.