LibGuides: Government & Law (U.S.): Congress: DVD, Web, etc.

DVD

The Congress by Ken Burns In this elegant, penetrating and moving portrait of the United States Congress, filmmaker Ken Burns profiles an American institution whose ideals and actions affect us all. Narrated by David McCullough, the program employs historic film footage and interviews with insiders" including David Broder, Alistair Cooke and Cokie Roberts to detail the personalities, events and issues that have animated Congress' first 200 years.
Call Number: DVD JK1021 .C66 2004
ISBN: 9781415702550
Publication Date: 2004

Websites

The Center on Representative Government at Indiana University
Congressional Research Service
Electing the House of Representatives, 1840-2016 Electing the House of Representatives, 1840-2016, is one of eight maps (as of this write-up) from American Panorama, a historical geography project from the University of Richmond's Digital Scholarship Lab. This fascinating map traces election results for the House of Representatives over time and offers visualizations "showing changing patterns across regions and between urban and rural areas." Users can toggle between two different views. The map view shows the (likely more familiar) actual outlines and winners of the congressional districts, while the cartogram view shows "smaller districts and [the] difference between urban and rural areas by representing each as a bubble." The map's legend allows users to turn parties and flipped districts off and on, while the timeline at the bottom shows how the strength of political parties change over time. The timeline is accompanied by a brief summary of the displayed year's results and also enables users to change the election year being viewed. Users can click on individual districts for more detail about its electoral history. Electing the House of Representatives also includes information about their data sources and methodology, as well as an introductory history of the House of Representatives.
United States House of Representatives
United States Senate

Streaming Video

The Congress Part of the Ken Burns America Collection, this incisive documentary profiles our government’s legislative branch. Narrated by David McCullough, the program uses historic footage and interviews with veteran political observers—including David Broder, Alistair Cooke, and Cokie Roberts—to detail the first 200 years of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Incorporating readings from diary entries, letters, and famous speeches, the film chronicles the careers of notable lawmakers and charts the evolution and development of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Distributed by PBS Distribution. (90 minutes)
Congress: How It Works This program takes the viewer step by step through the various functions of Congress—in three parts: Opening Day details how Congress reorganizes itself every two years; Its Powers describes the enumerated and implied powers of Congress; and Impeachment Powers explains one of the checks and balances provided in the Constitution. (55 minutes)
The Legislative Branch The Legislative Branch is a fun and fact-filled exploration of the legislative branch of government. The legislative branch is considered along with the executive branch and the judicial branch to examine how each branch checks the others to create a balance of power. The program looks at the United States Constitution as the foundation of federal government and the concept of “We the People” as the ultimate authority. The system of checks and balances is examined in detail with various graphic and video examples provided. Additionally, we see how power is divided between state and federal governments. The creation of the legislative branch and the offices of Senator and Representative are examined, along with the powers and responsibilities that their offices entail. We also look at the requirements of their positions, how they are elected, the concept of a bicameral legislature, and the “great compromise.” The law-making process is also considered in a step-by-step analysis. The program concludes with “The Almost Painless Review,” which offers an excellent synopsis of the entire program. Also, a Video Quiz is provided after the closing credits.
The President Has Usurped the Constitutional Power of Congress: A Debate Article I of the U.S. Constitution begins: "All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States." It then enumerates these powers, which include the power to tax, declare war, and regulate commerce. "In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates," James Madison, one of the key architects of the Constitution, wrote in the Federalist Papers in 1788. "The legislative department is everywhere extending the sphere of its activity, and drawing all power into its impetuous vortex." More than two centuries later, however, some argue that modern U.S. politics and law tell a quite different story. With executive orders, administrative regulations, creative interpretations of federal statutes, and executive agreements with other nations, they claim, the president, not Congress, is in effect wielding the most potent legislative power. Indeed, the Supreme Court is currently poised to decide whether President Obama's unilateral immigration actions subverted Congress's authority and flouted his constitutional duty to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." Others, however, deny that either Obama or other recent presidents have exercised legislative power. Rather, they argue, these presidents have simply invoked well-established precedents to take executive actions to apply the law. Does Congress's legislative authority still predominate? Or is this the era of the imperial presidency? Has the president usurped the constitutional power of Congress?