In this module, we studied changes to the way Congress and the president do business. The Constitution lists specific duties to be performed by Congress; it's a little more vague when it comes to assigning functions to the president. It is up to these two institutions to determine how best to accomplish these tasks. The major theme of this module is change, the addition of functions under the presidency and changes in the distribution of power within Congress to better assist and sometimes hinder these institutions in carrying out their functions. The Congress of the 1950s, known as the "textbook Congress," is very different from today's Congress. Our author notes six legislative methods that were noted by political scientist Donald Matthews. These methods include apprenticeship, legislative work, specialization, civility, institutional patriotism and reciprocity. As time passed and more partisan divisions grew in the House and Senate, the traditional method of learning disappeared and institutional patriotism seriously declined, as did civility in both bodies. A large percentage of recent generation legislatures also have limited acceptance of the concept of reciprocity. “Members of Congress may well reflect declining levels of trust and civility among the general public.” (Loomis, Schiller p.132) Because of these changes in traditional habits, past Speakers of the House have decided to hold significant legislation until there is enough single-party support to pass this legislation, an example of this in 2004 was President Hastert delaying legislation on major intelligence reform, a 2010 example could be the health care reform bill. The change in public opinion on civility and trust, reflected by member...... middle of paper ......s dollars. These offices were created to provide the President with the information he needs to guide Congress on a legislative agenda, ensure economic growth, and ensure the security of the nation. The framers of the Constitution enumerated the responsibilities of Congress and the President; they did not dictate how these responsibilities would be carried out. It was up to both institutions to evolve with the times and, in the case of Congress, to decide for themselves how to do their jobs. The editors realized that things were going to change, and they gave these two institutions room to do what was necessary to get the job done. Works Cited Loomis, Burdett A. and Schiller, Wendy J., The Contemporary Congress. California: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006. Print Pfiffner, James A., The Modern Presidency California: Thomson Wadsworth 2008. Print