This week Craig Benzine clears up the role of committees in Congress. We’ll talk about standing committees, joint committees, conference committees, and caucuses (and not the candidate-choosing kinds) as well as the staff agencies that help advise these committees and congresspeople. As most bills never even make it to the house and senate floors for a vote, the role of committees, and their respective chairpersons as gatekeeper is pretty important. There’s a lot to demystify here as the legislative process can seem pretty arcane at times, but the model, at least in theory, helps Congress run more efficiently.

Produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios: youtube.com/pbsdigitalstudios

Support is provided by Voqal: www.voqal.org

1. Introduction to American Government
2. The Bicameral Congress
3. Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
4. Federalism
5. Constitutional Compromises
6. Congressional Elections
7. Congressional Committees
8. Congressional Leadership
9. How a Bill Becomes a Law
10. Congressional Decisions
11. Presidential Power
12. Presidential Powers 2
13. Congressional Delegation
14. How Presidents Govern
15. Bureaucracy Basics
16. Types of Bureaucracies
17. Controlling Bureaucracies
18. Legal System Basics
19. Structure of the Court System
20. Supreme Court of the United States Procedures
21. Judicial Review
22. Judicial Decisions
23. Civil Right
24. Freedom of Religion
25. Freedom of Speech
26. Freedom of the Press
27. Search and Seizure
28. Due Process of Law
29. Equal Protection
30. Sex Discrimination
31. Discrimination
32. Affirmative Action
33. Public Opinion
34. Shaping Public Opinion
35. Political Ideology
36. Election Basics
37. Gerrymandering
38. How Voters Decide
39. Political Campaigns
40. Political Parties
41. Party Systems
42. Interest Groups
43. Interest Group Formation
44. Media Institution
45. Media Regulation
46. Market Economy
47. Government Regulation
48. Monetary and Fiscal Policy
49. Social Policy
50. Foreign Policy

In this crash course series hosted by Craig Benzine (aka WheezyWaiter), learn the basics of American government in videos lasting about 9 minutes each, covering the basic functions and policies discussed in American politics