Center on Congress pamphlets included in new government toolkit

The Center on Congress at IU has provided two of its most popular booklets to be included in the new edition of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ “Civics and Citizenship Toolkit,” released by the government Monday.

The booklets, “Understanding Congress: A Citizen’s Guide,” and “Making Your Voice Heard: How To Work With Congress,” are included in 5,000 of the toolkits. The government provides the toolkits to organizations which assist people in becoming naturalized citizens.

“Understanding Congress” explains the concept of representative democracy, how Congress functions, its impact on people’s lives and the importance of citizen participation, according to an IU press release. “Making Your Voice Heard” offers practical tips on how to communicate with Congress.

“Every American should better understand Congress and its role in sustaining the health of our representative democracy,” the Center’s director, Lee Hamilton, said in the release. “We are very pleased to join with USCIS in helping prospective citizens learn about Congress and how to communicate their concerns to Washington.”