To so many Americans, Congress seems obsolete or useless. Why do we even bother with it? Why Congress offers a defense of Congress as the indispensable branch of government, alongside a compelling account of how the institution has become so dysfunctional. At its best in the mid-20th century, Congress solved immense challenges like civil rights, but Wallach's history shows how the subsequent rise of powerful leadership and the decline of committees have left Congress divided and decrepit. As society feels divided and politics feels gridlocked, Why Congress argues that only a revival of legislative deliberation can resolve our most pressing challenges.