How Congress Works and Why You Should Care, written by Lee Hamilton, introduces the functions and vital role of the United States Congress. The founding fathers introduced a representative democracy with three branches of government having equal power. The creation of Congress was one of the most important institutions of the American government: creating laws, enacting taxes, and providing for the common defense and general welfare of the United States. Nowadays, many citizens have the misconception that Congress does very little and does not function well. Lee Hamilton addresses areas where Congress can work better and where the American people can be more involved. Congress provides balance to the federal government and reflects diversity, but some areas of its processes need to be changed to increase civic participation and approval ratings in the United States. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One area of ​​constant call for reform involves campaign finance laws. Lobbying and campaign donations are essential when running for office in Congress. A phrase experts use when evaluating political races is “Follow the money.” If the races are close, the one (candidate) who has raised the most money usually wins. The cost of running for political office has skyrocketed. Running for the U.S. Senate, for example, can cost up to $6 million or more. The American people are beginning to doubt their favored candidates, believing that these candidates will only serve the needs of major donors. Lee Hamilton describes the campaign process when he says, “Our lack of effective campaign laws in this country represents a grave failure in American public policy. It diverts members' attention, makes races less competitive, and raises questions about the integrity of the legislative process.” Hamilton describes the problems posed by the campaign process when money is supreme. To solve this problem, Hamilton suggests providing full transparency of campaign contributions and having partial public funding of congressional elections. Once the American people understand how much money influences the processes of our government, they will agree with Hamilton. His solution levels the playing field so that powerful interest groups cannot control elected officials. This open process will in effect support the general public who do not believe their needs are being met. After an election, Congress begins its work with the crisis at hand. In describing the busy schedules of government workers, Lee Hamilton recalls asking Tony Lake – President Clinton's national security advisor – about his work: “Those files all deserve immediate attention. They can't wait," he replied. Then I noticed an even bigger pile, probably twice as tall, piled up behind him. 'Those,' he said, 'are extremely urgent.' manages to look forward to future challenges with ease. Not only do day-to-day challenges involve government officials, but oversight also controls the legislature. Oversight is widely used by members of Congress to investigate fellow legislators and the President of Donald Trump regarding Russia's involvement in the 2016 presidential elections confirm the fact that the legislature lives in the past However, this oversight is justified considering that it could.