Walking into the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference for my final day, my expectations were high for a deeper examination of the issues facing the American government. Instead, I was challenged to take action beyond defining those issues and consider what could be done to address them.

This week in Washington, D.C. was the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The conference ran from Wednesday, September 16 through Sunday, September 20, with panels and events taking place throughout the week.

The panel, “Constitutional Democracy: Fortifying the Guardrails and Norms of American Government,” was hosted by Representative Troy Carter from Louisiana, and brought together Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island, Kristen Clark, the general counsel of the NAACP, and Janai Nelson, the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

The panelists brought different perspectives to the conversation about the rule of law, the changes affecting the American government and what could be done moving forward. Senator Whitehouse took the beginning of the panel to break down the longtime faults that are present in the Senate. His main point was that, “This destruction of constitutional norms did not happen, it was done.” Whitehouse pointed to many repetitive factors he believes have contributed to the current state of American government. Whitehouse also pointed to the influence of wealthy interests in federal decision-making as a factor he believes should be considered when discussing how the government could be rebuilt.

Kristen Clark points out the breaks in our system that have come to the forefront over the past 18 months. Clark argues that there have been fewer checks and balances amid what she describes as a more fractured Congress. However, she points out that the people, American citizens, can make the change to hold these branches accountable. They are the last line of checks and balances. Janai Nelson builds on this point by focusing on the foundation of our government. Nelson argues that our foundation was built on, “expectations of goodwill and gentlemen’s agreements.” That’s why there needs to be a priority on new laws and rules, so the people can hold their representatives more accountable.

After the panel I asked Representative Troy Carter how it was possible to maintain this momentum that has been gained long past the upcoming midterms. He spoke to the importance of the future leaders of the world. The younger generations need to continue to be engaged, stay educated and stay involved in the political and civil processes.