The legislative process begins with the introduction of a bill to Congress, which must be done by a member of Congress, though anyone can write a bill.
READ MORE
Interest groups seek to affect government legislation and policy to benefit themselves or their causes. Their goal could be a policy that exclusively benefits group members or one segment of society (for example, government subsidies for farmers) or a policy that advances a broader public purpose (for example, protecting the environment).
Lobbyists attempt to bring pressure to bear on legislators and policy makers to gain legislative and policy outcomes in their favor. The term lobbying originated in the efforts to influence the votes of legislators that generally took place in the lobby outside of the legislative chamber.
The bill is then referred to committee—first to a subcommittee, where it can be accepted, amended, or rejected, then to a full committee
READ MORE
Committees: It is generally recognized that the most important work of a modern legislative body is done in committee. This is true partly because the sheer bulk of legislation prevents individual members from considering each measure at length and partly because much legislation is highly complex and technical in nature and thus requires consideration by experts. Membership on an influential committee is highly prized by legislators in view of the importance of the function performed by committees. Technical staffs serve the committees by collecting information, performing research, and preparing legislation. Each house of Congress has a number of standing (permanent) committees and select (special and temporary) committees.