A photo of the Capitol Building against a red background.
Much like piecing together some kind of complex puzzle where every piece has a place that is important, the process of turning an idea into law in the United States has many long steps. All of this begins when someone—an individual like yourself, a group concerned about specific issues, or a government employee—sees the need for a new rule or the need to change an existing one. This is then written down on paper in the form of a bill.
This bill then goes to Congress, which is divided into two sections: the House of Representatives and the Senate. There is, however, something to remember—only those in Congress can officially present this bill, so if you have an idea, you first have to find a representative or senator that will take it. Once introduced, the bill receives a number, almost like a name tag, that marks it as being introduced into the process. It is then referred to a smaller group, called a committee.
There are many of these committees in Congress, and each one deals with a certain aspect, whether it is schools, the military, or issues dealing with the environment. These committees almost investigate the bill as if they were detectives; they will talk to experts to shine some light on the bill or decide to change a few things about the bill. If the committee feels the bill is worth it, they move it to all the members within their group to vote on the bill.
But passing one chamber is only half the battle. If the bill makes its way through the House, it goes to the Senate where it basically undergoes the same strenuous process in went through in the House. During this time, the Senate may decide it needs to make further changes to the bill to ensure that it truly serves the best interests of the nation. If, after all these reviews and changes, both the House and the Senate reach an agreement on the bill, then it goes to the President.
At this stage, the President pretty much has the final say. He may sign it into law, thereby giving it the force of law, or he can reject it outright by using his veto power. However, if that bill gets vetoed, then there is one other thing that Congress can actually do. You see, Congress can take the bill back, and they can override that veto through a two-thirds supermajority.
To wrap up, all of this is part of a legislative process that sometimes goes on for months and even years with meetings upon meetings, discussions, and votes. Each step involved in the process of passing a bill into effect represents a checkpoint toward ensuring that the proposed legislation is nondiscriminatory, needed, and serves a public good. It is meant to voice every concern and listen to potentially every change. It certainly prevents the making of laws from being done hastily, protecting the well-being of the whole nation. This is also indicative of the democratic principle of checks and balances whereby no branch of government has absolute power, and every new legislation has to pass through big bodies of scrutiny and consensus.