How does the U.S. Congress, as it exists in its current structure, support and/or limit authentic representation?

Congress is in large part responsible for financial decisions.  The political process and the bureaucracy that is common within Congress limits productivity. That is why there is a disconnect between what the general public desires and what Congress prioritizes. Those issues that are minor, such as, naming Acts/Bills, and advertisement noise laws, are passed by Congress much more expeditiously, that bills that would actually benefit society. In my opinion, Congress needs to focus on the real issues first and not waste time on unnecessary issues such as how a bill should be named.

Obtained From: <http://www.michellehenry.fr/lobby6.jpg>

 Even though the representatives are elected, they hardly represent the opinion of the people.  In politics it is not unusual for opinions and ideas to differ before and after the election is over with.  Congress is a very important part of government due to their "substantial responsibilities" (The Power of Politics, p. 210) including the capacity to declare war, to collect taxes, to regulate commerce, etc.  Congress also limits authentic representation due to lobbyists.  Elections are greatly influenced by special interest groups who offer to provide campaign funding.  As the book mentions, "those with the most political resources outside of Congress are in the best position to take advantage of Congress's accessibility to cultivate relationships" (The Power of Politics, p. 239) with the various members. As the cartoon illustrates lobbying influence increases rapidly year after year.  Lobbying increased by $1.9 billion, in the time period of 10 years (The Power of Politics, p. 239)

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Cartoon: <http://www.michellehenry.fr/lobby6.jpg>

"The Politics of Power"- Ira Katznelson, Mark Kesselman, Alan Draper.