the Center on Congress at Indiana University
Message from Director
Lee Hamilton
Disillusionment and disengagement with our
representative government have become all too common.
An alarming number of Americans don’t vote in elections, and too many say they’ve given up on our political
system. Our democracy can work effectively only if
the people participate in it. During my 34 years in the
House of Representatives, I met many people who didn’t
understand the important role that Congress plays in
their lives—or the role that each person plays in making
Congress function properly. The Center on Congress
grew out of my perception that the American people need
a nonpartisan educational resource that will help them
better understand Congress.
All of us should have a balanced, realistic view of
Congress, one that acknowledges its flaws but recognizes
the Founders’ vision—that Congress should be the branch
of government most responsive to the people’s needs and
aspirations. Our nation’s great experiment of representative democracy has served us well for more than 200 years,
but it fundamentally relies on an informed electorate that
participates fully in civic life. The Center on Congress
seeks to inspire young people and adults to understand
their obligations as citizens and take an active part in
revitalizing representative government in America.
In local forums and in the chambers of Congress
in Washington, D.C., it is your voice that matters. By
making your voice heard, you make our democracy work.
I encourage you to participate in the initiatives of this
Center—and in your government.
Lee H. Hamilton
Director, Center on Congress
Representative, United States Congress, 1965–99
Photo: Kendall Reeves
As U.S. citizens, we have the opportunity to
participate at every level of the legislative process. Yet
surveys show that many citizens believe Congress has
no relevance to their lives, and many adults and students
don’t understand the basic functions of government.
That’s where the Center on Congress aims to make a
difference. Established at Indiana University in 1999, we
are a nonpartisan educational institution with a mission
to help improve the public’s understanding of Congress
and to encourage civic engagement.
Improve the public’s understanding of Congress
Steve and Cokie Roberts speak on the IU campus
The Center on Congress was established to
counter cynicism and misconceptions about Congress.
Our mission is to provide nonpartisan educational
information that helps citizens understand and access
their representative government.
Here are some of the ways the Center on Congress is
helping improve the public’s understanding of Congress.
A comprehensive Web site
www.centeroncongress.org
Students, teachers, and citizens can find a trove of
resources on our Web site for learning about the
operations and significance of Congress. Features
include the Center’s widely acclaimed interactive
e-learning simulations, as well as videos, articles,
commentaries, Q & A and glossary sections, and
other reference information. The site provides the
latest news about the Center’s programs, projects,
publications, and events. There is also a Spanishlanguage version of the Web site.
Newspaper columns & radio commentaries
Center Director Lee Hamilton writes twicemonthly commentaries about Congress and what
individuals can do to make our representative
democracy work better. These commentaries are
distributed nationally and appear in a wide range
of newspapers. They also are posted on the Center’s
Web site and on a Web log. Audio versions of
Hamilton’s commentaries are posted on the
Center’s Web site and are distributed to radio stations nationally. They also are available via podcast.
Books
Lee Hamilton’s highly praised book, How Congress
Works and Why You Should Care, explains in
nontechnical terms how Congress works, how it
affects people’s lives, and why citizen engagement
is important. It has been described as “an owner’s
manual for citizens interested in their Congress.”
Hamilton is also the author of A Creative Tension:
The Foreign Policy Roles of the President and Congress.
Booklets
In partnership with the Center on Civic
Education, the Center on Congress has produced
Understanding Congress: A Citizen’s Guide, a 24page, richly illustrated booklet that explains the
concept of representative democracy, how Congress
functions, and the importance of citizen participation. Copies may be purchased for distribution
to classes, civic organizations, and other groups.
Also, as part of the project “Representative
Democracy in America: Voices of the People,”
the Center on Congress has produced Your Ideas
Count: Representative Democracy and You, a 28-page
booklet for use in classrooms and communities. It
explains the basics about Congress and representative democracy and provides tips on how citizens can participate in and support our system of
government.
“Congressional Moment” radio series
In conjunction with the Indiana University radio
station WFIU, the Center on Congress has produced a series of “Congressional Moment” radio
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Our Mission: Improve the public’s Understanding of Congress
segments—two-minute recordings that explore a
specific way in which the work of Congress has made
a difference in people’s lives. To hear the recordings,
visit www.centeroncongress.org, click on “Learn
About Congress,” and then click on “Congressional
Moment Radio Series.” The recordings are also
distributed to public radio stations.
Sam Donaldson speaks to IU students in the School of Public and
Environmental Affairs
American Democracy Television
The Center on Congress is a partner with the
National Conference of State Legislatures in the
American Democracy Television network. ADTV
provides timely video programs to public, educational, and government channels; public access stations;
statewide networks; and others for engaging citizens with their representative government. ADTV
programming has been provided to more than 300
stations in 50 states.
Seminars for journalists
The media has a vital role in the healthy functioning of democracy, educating citizens and helping
them make better-informed judgments. The Center
on Congress has partnered with the National Press
Foundation to host seminars such as “Covering the
Federal Budget” for journalists. This seminar gives
reporters guidance on producing stories to help citizens
see how spending and tax decisions made by Congress
and the president affect communities across America.
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Educate Students about Congress
Bloomington high school students ask questions at a Close Up
taping at WTIU television station on the Indiana University campus
Representative democracy does not
perpetuate itself. Each new generation of citizens
must be taught to nurture it. At the Center on
Congress, we believe that learning about Congress
is central to learning about responsible citizenship.
We work with teachers and education professionals
to determine the best ways to make civics instruction
effective, interesting, and relevant. We are continually
enhancing our portfolio of educational products,
helping students become capable and confident
participants in the process of governing.
Here are some of the ways we are educating students
about Congress and our democratic system.
Interactive Web learning
The Center on Congress is known for its innovative use of Internet-based educational tools
to make learning about Congress and civics an
intellectual adventure. On our Web site are ten
interactive learning modules for students and the
public. They include “The Impact of Congress,”
“The Dynamic Legislative Process,” “The Many
Roles of a Member of Congress,” “How a Member
Decides to Vote,” and “The Importance of Civic
Participation.” The Center on Congress provides
teachers with lesson plans for each module and
information on how the modules and lessons
connect to each state’s curriculum standards.
Democracy Kids Web site
www.democracykids.org
To get students in grades four through six interested in Congress and the basic concepts of
representative democracy, the Center on Congress
offers the visually dynamic “Democracy Kids”
Web site. Developed in cooperation with the
Center for Civic Education and the National
Conference of State Legislatures, the site presents
information on Congress and civics through a variety of interactive games and other activities that
entertain students as they learn. Features include
crossword puzzles highlighting key concepts of
democracy and government, a “Tour of the Town”
that shows how government affects our lives, and a
“Being Involved” survey that encourages students
and parents to talk about civic engagement.
Alliance with the Library of Congress
The Center on Congress is bringing its online
civic education expertise to a partnership with the
Library of Congress, helping the Library promote
classroom use of its vast resources on the Internet.
Through its “American Memory” program, the
Library of Congress has posted approximately
10 million items on American history, politics,
and culture. The Center on Congress is blending
information on how Congress works with specific
Library resources in a visually engaging, interactive, user-friendly format that will help teachers
make Congress come alive for students.
Virtual Congress
The Center on Congress is developing an online
“Virtual Congress”—an ambitious new learning
environment that uses techniques and technology
from the widely popular multiplayer online roleplay games. Our “Virtual Congress” will replicate
the way Congress works, with student-legislators
introducing bills and working online with others
around the country to try to move their proposals
through the various stages of the legislative process. Participants in the “Virtual Congress” will
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Our Mission: Educate Students about Congress Our Mission
get a good sense of the role and function of the
legislative branch by experiencing how it works,
rather than just reading about it in a textbook.
tributed nationally via the American Democracy
Television network and through other channels.
Facts of Congress videos
The Center on Congress offers teachers a series
of 30 one-minute Facts of Congress videos that
explain basic concepts and terms of representative
government such as “compromise,” “filibuster,”
“checks and balances,” “federalism,” and “civility.” These entertaining, educational videos are
geared toward middle-school students but can
be useful and interesting for other age groups.
Each video has accompanying teacher materials, including discussion questions and suggested
classroom activities.
The Center has teamed with the editors of
TIME and the National Conference of State
Legislatures to produce TIME for Kids minimagazines—one for second and third graders,
one for middle school students, and one called
inTIME for the high school audience. These
colorful, information-packed publications explain
how government works and why citizen input is
important. The mini-magazines are sent free of
charge to civics teachers nationwide for distribution and discussion in their classrooms and at
home. Millions of copies have been circulated.
Citizen Brain video
Additional resources for teachers
Taking a humorous tack to convey serious concepts in civics and government, the Citizen Brain
video educates young people about fundamental
tenets of representative democracy, including the
differing roles of federal, state, and local governments; the bicameral structure of Congress; and
the need for elected representatives to negotiate
and compromise in order to pass laws that reflect
the diversity of opinions in our nation. Developed
in partnership with the National Conference of
State Legislatures, Citizen Brain is being dis-
On the Center’s Web site, teachers can access
videos on best practices and accompanying lesson
materials that offer guidance on how to teach
about Congress and foster civic participation
among students. Included are tools for assessing
student learning and aligning lessons with state
curriculum standards for all states with social
studies/civics standards for grades 5–12.
TIME for Kids mini-magazines
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promoting citizen engagement
Reg Weaver, President of the National Education Association,
speaking to students attending program on minority civic participation
To the average citizen, what goes on in
Washington can seem distant and puzzling. It is
difficult to follow debates in Congress on complex
policy issues. But America’s Founders intended for
Congress and the people to be in close touch, so that
actions taken by the federal government would truly
reflect the “consent of the governed.” The Center
on Congress works to help citizens understand how
they can be effective in bringing their concerns and
requests to their elected officials.
Here are some of the ways we reach out to the
public to encourage the development of a more
informed and engaged citizenry.
Survey on Congress
Lee Hamilton records a radio commentary
Every year, the Center conducts a national
opinion survey of the public’s attitudes about
Congress, gathering information to help devise strategies for fostering a closer relationship
between citizens and their representatives. The
Survey on Congress examines how people learn
about and interact with Congress, and it gauges
how citizens rate the job performance of their
representatives and how they regard their own
responsibilities as citizens. Researchers from
several other prominent universities partner with
the Center on Congress to support and conduct
the survey, which provides data to scholars, the
media, and others. This data is invaluable in
understanding how the public perceives the effectiveness and responsiveness of Congress.
Making Your Voice Heard booklet
Lamar Alexander speaks at the
Congressional Conference on Civic Education
To encourage citizens to share their concerns
with members of Congress, the Center offers a
booklet, Making Your Voice Heard: How to Work
with Congress. Developed in partnership with
the Center on Civic Education, the booklet gives
advice that helps citizens get off the sidelines and
constructively express opinions to their elected
representatives. It features a “do’s” and “don’ts”
list for making an effective case when communicating with a member of Congress.
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Our Mission: promoting citizen engagement Our Mission: pr
Public service announcements
Teacher Awards
The Center on Congress has produced a series of
public service announcements (PSAs) for television and radio that deliver the message, “It’s
your government—get involved.” Among those
featured in the PSAs are Center Director Lee
Hamilton, former New Jersey Governor Thomas
H. Kean, National Council of La Raza President
Janet Murguia, and U.S. Capitol Historical
Society President Ronald Sarasin. The PSAs
are distributed in cooperation with the National
Association of Broadcasters.
The Center partners with the National Education
Association and the Center for Civic Education
in the American Civic Education Teacher
Awards program. The awards are given annually
to elementary and secondary teachers of civics,
government, and related fields who demonstrate
exceptional expertise, dynamism, and creativity in
motivating students to learn about Congress, the
Constitution, and public policy.
Civic education conferences
The Center on Congress is a founding partner of
the Alliance for Representative Democracy, which
each year convenes the Congressional Conference
on Civic Education in Washington, D.C., bringing together teams of key education policy activists from all 50 states, members of the judiciary
and state legislators, and representatives of civic
organizations, to develop strategies and implement state-specific plans that will measurably
strengthen civic education and train young people
to actively participate as citizens. The Center for
Civic Education and the National Conference of
State Legislatures are also partners of the Alliance
for Representative Democracy.
Television programming
The Center on Congress and the Close Up
Foundation produce weekly television segments
featuring members of Congress in Q & A
sessions with high school students visiting
Washington. They are shown on C-SPAN and
can also be used in classrooms.
Distinguished Speaker series
This series brings to the Indiana University
campus in Bloomington prominent public figures
— from the media, government service, and other
areas of expertise — to create a dialogue with
students and community members about current
issues and Congress.
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romoting citizen engagement Our Mission: promoting citizen
Staff and Advisors
Our staff includes Washington veterans who are seasoned observers of Capitol Hill
and congressional politics; academicians and others with expertise in political science,
survey research, curriculum development, public outreach, and grassroots democracy;
and administrative specialists.
Board of Advisors
Lee H. Hamilton, Center Director
Mark D. Cowan, Vice Chair
Anita R. Estell
Clifford S. Gibbons
The Honorable William F. Goodling
The Honorable William H. Gray III
Dr. David A. Hamburg
Reta J. Lewis
Robert H. McKinney
Robert Raben
Steve Ricchetti
Terrance D. Straub
Jeffrey C. Viohl
Lee Hamilton and Mark Cowan
Academic Advisory Council
Jeffrey Biggs, American Political Science Association
Sarah Binder, George Washington University
Marilynne Boyle-Baise, Indiana University
Joseph Cooper, The Johns Hopkins University
Roger Davidson, University of California, Santa Barbara
Paulette Patterson Dilworth, Indiana University
C. Lawrence Evans, The College of William and Mary
Stephen F. Frantzich, United States Naval Academy
John Hibbing, University of Nebraska
Robert Huckfeldt, University of California, Davis
Mark Hugo Lopez, University of Maryland
Sheilah Mann, Civic Education Consultant
Thomas E. Mann, The Brookings Institution
Walter J. Oleszek, Congressional Research Service
Norman J. Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute
John J. Patrick, Indiana University
Alan Rosenthal, Rutgers University
Catherine Rudder, George Mason University
Barbara Sinclair, University of California, Los Angeles
James A. Thurber, American University
Reg Weaver, National Education Association
Donald Wolfensberger, Woodrow Wilson Center
Staff
Lee H. Hamilton, Center Director
Edward G. Carmines, Director of Research
Judith DeSisti, Business Development
Philip Duncan, Communications Outreach
Robert Gurwitt, Editorial Assistance
Elaine Larson, Education Outreach
Vicky Myers, Program Assistant
Kenneth Nelson, Assistant to the Director
Wayne Vance, Assistant to the Director
Heather Barton, Graduate Assistant
Philip Duncan, Kenneth Nelson, and Judith DeSisti
Vicky Myers and Wayne Vance
Edward Carmines
Lee Hamilton with Paul A. Brathwaite, Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus,
and Janet Murguia, President, National Council of La Raza, following a program on minority
civic participation sponsored by the Center on Congress and the Close Up Foundation
Contact Us
For more information on the
Center on Congress, go to our
Web site at: www.centeroncongress.org
Or contact us at:
Center on Congress at Indiana University
1315 E. 10th Street
Suite 320
Bloomington, IN 47405-1701
Phone: (812) 856-4706
Fax: (812) 856-4703
E-mail: [email protected]