The U.S. Congress is the least liked and perhaps least understood part of government. But it’s vital to our constitutional republic. Congress is the only branch built to work through our diverse nation’s disagreements and seek consensus. To have a nation of laws we need to have a national legislature that leads on policymaking.

UnderstandingCongress.org exists to provide nonpartisan, factual information and analysis about America’s national legislature. This site includes both original content and selected content from trusted sources.

In short, it aims to explain the what, why, and how of Congress. Here you will find:

• directions on how to see what bills are being considered and passed by Congress;
• explainers on how the budget process works (and fails);
• data on the funding and resources of Congress;
• analyses of Congress’s interactions with the executive and judicial branches;
• recommendations to reform Congress; and
• lots more.

This site is edited by Kevin R. Kosar, a senior fellow at the Amercian Enterprise Institute. He worked for more than a decade as a nonpartisan researcher at the Library of Congress’s Congressional Research Service. Kevin also hosts the Understanding Congress Podcast and is the co-editor of the book, Congress Overwhelmed: Congressional Capacity and Prospects for Reform.

If you have any articles, books, or resources you want considered for inclusion on the site, please send them to kevin.kosar[at]aei.org.