Foundations. A chain of history -- Making history every day -- Political parties -- Bipartisanship -- The Senate's structure and basic procedures. The symbol of American democracy -- "The Hill" -- The People's House and the Upper House -- Different strokes -- Checks and balances -- Speaking -- The VP : President of the Senate -- The workers and the workload -- Senate staff -- Constituent service -- Senate leadership -- Loading frogs into a wheelbarrow -- The majority and the minority -- Committees -- Committee chairs -- Senate rules -- Quorums -- Moving legislation. Introducing legislation -- Holds and filibusters -- Moving legislation -- The politics of inclusion -- Leading and representing -- Building coalitions -- Lobbyists -- The committee process -- Floor action -- Amendments -- The yeas and nays -- "The third house of Congress" -- Vetoes and overrides -- Budgets, investigations, special Senate functions. The Federal budget process -- Authorizing and appropriating -- Legislative oversight and investigations -- Nominations : advice and consent -- Impeachment -- Declaring war -- Treaties -- Life in the Senate. Business on a handshake -- Press and pressures -- Climbing-- and falling from-- the ladder -- Technology -- Women in the Senate -- Diversity -- Security -- The Senate today, and tomorrow. Compromise -- Escalating partisanship -- The Senate's slide -- The price of partisan gridlock -- The future.