by Julius Knapp III

Wooh! You sure gotta climb a lot of steps to get to this Capital building here in Washington, but I wonder who that sad little scrap of paper is.” And so Bill was born, alive as much as any other character, in the minds of a generation of students. From those first few lines, I’m sure many readers will leap with glee, instantly recognizing the cartoon from which it came, the nostalgia becoming almost palpable.

I’m also sure almost all those readers will be able to recite the next line, the first line of the accompanying song. “I’m just a bill. Yes, I’m only a bill. And I’m sitting here on Capital Hill.” (For all those readers who will have that song stuck in their head for the next hour, I’m sorry and you’re welcome.)

For many of us, that song and the many other songs produced by Schoolhouse Rock, was our first exposure to the inner workings of government. That song was also our first introduction to a kind of civic participation that is critical to the constitution of our country: direct legislative influence. This kind of civic participation is necessary for us, the American public, to influence law. As Bill suggests, this is no easy process. Bill must first go to the House of Representatives. The House may or may not decide to consider Bill and many bills are never considered. As the song continues, however, Bill is sent to a House committee where he is debated. In practice, the House committee may vote not to bring a bill before the full House. Bill on the other hand is introduced to the full House of Representatives where he is debated again. Being passed, as opposed to rejected, by the House of Representatives, Bill then must repeat the process in the Senate. Even passing the Senate, Bill does not become a law. The President must either veto or sign Bill. Fortunately, the President signs Bill and Bill becomes more than just a “sad little scrap of paper”. Bill becomes law with much fanfare and the country is better for it.

Direct legislative influence is perhaps the most critical form of civic participation, but unfortunately, its use seems to have waned. (I say “seems” because the number of bills sent to Congress for consideration is not directly tracked.) In fairness, the process to pass a bill is long, it’s involved, and it’s never assured that a bill will ever become law. Moreover, although Schoolhouse Rock did a fantastic job of presenting the overall process, it only barely discusses how enormous the task truly is. The site wikiHow details the process a private citizen may follow. In addition to what Schoolhouse Rock describes, researching the issue, gaining grassroots support, and talking to legislators are also key parts of the process. From start to finish, completing the process would be daunting, to say the least, for the average person to pursue. It requires a huge commitment that would ultimately penetrate into every aspect of that person’s life.

For that reason, other forms of civic participation have grown in popularity. Many of these, such as SLAPP suits, straw men, trolling, and lobbying, are more nefarious and can only serve to poison the country we have built. They stifle debate and prevent honest discussion. Some other alternatives, such as public protests, town halls, boycotts, and petitions are less nefarious but offer limited usefulness in terms of their ability to directly influence change.

Our ability to directly propose and influence the passage of legislation cannot be forgotten. Not only is it one of the most effective forms of civic participation, but it also enhances the effectiveness of those other forms. A bill can give the public a singular voice, allowing protests and petitions to be more narrowly focused. With their voices resonating together to communicate with lawmakers, they can also overcome the influence of lobbyists. It may even provide lawmakers with the political “cover” to support their constituents while doing something that may be less popular among their donors. After all, what politician would want to explain to their district that they deliberately ignored or opposed a bill proposed by their own constituents?

For this reason, I would propose an independent commission formed by Congress and funded by donors, to provide legal and financial support for any citizen to draft legislation and coordinate with Congress. Such a commission would be function similarly to a public defender, assigning a team of people- a lawyer, an advocate, and an accountant- to help send more “sad little scraps of paper” to Capital Hill. The commission may also coordinate with national grassroots organizations to solicit and foster support from and among the American public. Such a commission might also be a model for similar state and local commissions. Regardless, we, the American Public, must renew our commitment to this process. Generous use of this form of civic participation and engagement can and will make our government one of and by the people.

© 2025 The Ascendant Project