Compose a written response to the given prompt containing a minimum of 150 words. After you have posted your discussion, respond thoughtfully to the Discussion Topic posts of at least two other classmates. Be sure to follow the Rubric attached at the bottom.
- From the website https://www.congress.gov/, click on a Bill that interests you, either from the Top 10 Most-Viewed Bills (Congress.Gov) list or one that may relate to your important issue identified in your class introduction. State the bill that you chose and provide the website link.
- At the top of your bill’s website, review the overview section at the top that lists the Sponsor (s), Committee, Latest Action, Summary, and Roll Call Votes. What is the current status of the bill? If your chosen bill does not yet have any Roll Call Votes, please return to the list and choose one that does.
- Now, browse the information on the tabs located just under the overview: Summary, Text, Actions, Titles, Amendments, Cosponsors, Committees, and Related Bills.
After exploring each tab, what did you find of most interest? - Under the Action tab, explore the links to roll call vote data (linked as “Roll no.” or “Record Vote Number…”). How did your state senator or representative vote on your chosen bill? Do you see a clear voting pattern by the different political parties?
- Reflect on what you learned from this exercise and how it might benefit you in the future.