Final answer:
Mark Twain’s critical perspective on Congress encompasses concerns about corruption and power, paralleling current societal critiques while emphasizing the institution's role in safeguarding freedom.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mark Twain's quotes suggest a critical view of Congress, describing it as composed of self-serving individuals and likening membership to idiocy. His sentiments reflect concerns with corruption and the influence of money and power, as expressed in his co-authored satire The Gilded Age. Twain’s views mirror contemporary critiques, revealing that societal concerns about legislative integrity are longstanding.
While prominent figures today, like authors or actors, may share similar sentiments on the inefficacy or corruption within Congress, their reasons might align with Twain's or stem from modern issues like partisanship or lobbying.
Furthermore, the phenomenon where Americans may disparage Congress as a whole but support their local representatives could be tied to perceived personal benefits or localized interests trumping broader disdain for the institution.
Lee Hamilton, in explaining the role of Congress, emphasizes its foundational purpose in maintaining checks and balances, and hence, freedom – a perspective that could mitigate some criticisms by highlighting the institution’s necessity.