This week's focus is Congress, which is a huge topic that is a bit challenging to cover in just one week. While the reading for this week and the slides aim to cover the working structure of both the House and Senate, this week's discussion will allow you all to reflect on and maybe even debate some of the major political issues that exist today concerning Congress as an institution. Once you've worked through the material in the module, answer one of the following questions in your discussion post and engage with your classmates: 1. Some observers express concern about high reelection rates for incumbent members of Congress and have advocated for term limits as a way to formally remove longtime members of Congress. Why do you think these proposals for term limits are being advanced? Are there advantages to having long-serving members of Congress in office? What do recent election cycles say about the need for term limits? Ultimately, do you support implementing term limits, or are you against such a proposal? 2. This week's module includes two videos and the audio from an episode of NPR's show Fresh Air detailing the increasing polarization of Congress and the history and debate around the filibuster in the Senate. As you've also read, the filibuster is a simple way for the minority in the Senate to block or delay legislation or otherwise require legislation to receive 60 votes in order to pass. There is increasing debate in the American political world about whether the filibuster should be eliminated, which would result in all legislation requiring only a simple majority to pass in the Senate (this is how it already works in the House). After everything you've read, watched, and listened to, what's your opinion on this topic? Do you think the filibuster should be eliminated, or do you think it serves an important purpose and should be preserved? Explain your position in detail. 3. Refer to the image below that shows the breakdown of the 116th Congress (January 3, 2019 - January 3, 2021) based on a number of different traits. Do you think it matters whether the backgrounds of members of Congress reflect the population as a whole? Can members represent their constituents effectively if they do not come from similar backgrounds