ELI5: how laws are made

// eli5

What is a law?

A law is a rule that everyone in a country has to follow, like when your parents make rules for your home [1]. Laws are created by a group of people called Congress who work together to decide what rules will help everyone [1].

How does someone suggest a new law?

When a person in Congress (called a Representative or Senator) has an idea for a new rule, they write it down on paper called a bill [3][5]. They give this bill to a special helper called the Clerk, kind of like turning in your homework to a teacher [3].

What happens next to the bill?

The bill gets sent to a committee, which is like a group of people who study it really carefully to make sure it's a good idea [4]. If the committee thinks it's good, they send it to all the other people in Congress who vote on it [4].

How does it become a real law?

If enough people in Congress vote "yes" on the bill, it becomes a law that everyone has to follow [1]. It's like when your whole family votes on whether to have pizza for dinner, and if most people say yes, that's what you eat [1].