How Our Law Are Made

This booklet is indispensible reading for anyone wanting to understand the legislative process in Congress. I would however suggest that you also read "Unorthodox Lawmaking" by Barbara Sinclair and Walter J Oleszek's "Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process".

The House of Representatives Committee on Rules Legislative Process Program says -

“This brochure is intended to provide a basic outline of the numerous steps of our federal lawmaking process from the source of an idea for a legislative proposal through its publication as a statute. The legislative process is a matter about which every person should be well informed in order to understand and appreciate the work of Congress. It is hoped that this guide will enable readers to gain a greater understanding of the federal legislative process and its role as one of the foundations of our representative system. One of the most practical safeguards of the American democratic way of life is this legislative process with its emphasis on the protection of the minority, allowing ample opportunity to all sides to be heard and make their views known. The fact that a proposal cannot become a law without consideration and approval by both Houses of Congress is an outstanding virtue of our bicameral legislative system. The open and full discussion provided under the Constitution often results in the notable improvement of a bill by amendment before it becomes law or in the eventual defeat of an inadvisable proposal.

Link to the Table of Contents for “How Our Laws Are Made”:
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/lawsmade.toc.html

Link to the entire document “How Our Laws Are Made”:
http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/howourlawsaremade.pdf