FIrst Minute

On average, about 10,000 bills are introduced in a session of Congress, but only a small percentage actually pass. From January 1973 to December 1974, Congress enacted 772 legislations. The current Congress has only enacted 42 laws so far this year. In this episode of Gen Z Unlifed, the host and guests discuss why Congress struggles to pass more laws, pointing to factors such as lobbying, interest groups, the two-party system, and the structure of the government itself. It's not that Congress is lazy, but there are obstacles that hinder their productivity. About 10,000 bills are introduced, on an average, in a session of Congress, and only three to four percent are passed. From January 1973 to December 1974, Congress enacted 772 legislations. The current Congress, since January 3rd of this year, has enacted 42 per GovTrack. Welcome to this episode of Gen Z Unlifed, and I am your host, Carter Bacigalupo, a first-year political science student here at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Today, I will be joined by my fellow political science student, Rocco Benef, and my close friend Daniel, who is from Ukraine, and his family immigrated to the U.S. prior to his birth. We will be talking about a big issue going on right now, and that is Congress, and why they can't pass more laws. They have one job, and I feel it is being done poorly. I believe the root of the problem can be shown by three factors, lobbying, interest groups, the two-party system, and the foundation of the government itself. Obviously, Congress is not just lazy, and these legislators aren't just sitting on their hands. There are things stopping them from actually getting work done, and I hope to shed some light on them today.