Download or read book How Congress Evolves written by Nelson W. Polsby and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2005-04-07 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the end of the New Deal until quite recently, the U.S. House of Representatives was dominated by a conservative coalition that thwarted the Democratic majority and prevented the enactment of measures proposed by a succession of liberal Presidents. Today Presidents aren't necessarily liberal and the House of Representatives is not necessarily the graveyard of presidential proposals. What happened? Congress evolved. It all began with airconditioning. In this entertaining tale of one of our most august institutions, Nelson Polsby describes how the Democratic majority finally succeeded in overcoming the conservative coalition, changing the House. The evolution required among other things, the disappearance of Dixiecrats from the House Democratic caucus. Dixiecrats were replaced by the rise of the Republican party in the south. The Republican party in southern states was strengthened by an influx of migrants from the north, who came south to settle after the introduction of residential air conditioning, which made the climate more tolerable to Northerners. This evolutionary process led to the House's liberalization and concluded with the House's later transformation into an arena of sharp partisanship, visible among both Democrats and Republicans. A fascinating read by one of our most influential political scientists, How Congress Evolves breathes new life into the dusty corners of institutional history, and offers a unique explanation for important transformations in the congressional environment.
Download or read book How Congress Evolves written by Nelson W. Polsby and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this tale of one of America's most august institutions Nelson Polsby argues that among other things, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Congress evolved. He breathes new life into institutional history, and offers an explanation for important transformations in the congressional environment.
Download or read book Institutional Change Discretion and the Making of Modern Congress written by Glenn R. Parker and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Institutional Change, Discretion, and the Making of Modern Congress challenges the widely accepted assumption that legislators, if not all politicians, are driven by the desire to be reelected. Through a series of creative arguments drawing on rational choice theory and microeconomics, political scientist Glenn R. Parker offers a controversial alternative to the reelection assumption: he posits that legislators seek to maximize their own discretion--the freedom to do what they want to do. Parker uses this premise to account for the behavior of legislatures, the organization of Congress, the emergence of policy outcomes that reveal legislator altruism as well as parochialism, and the evolution of Congress as a political institution. Legislators behave like monopolists, argues Parker, creating barriers to entry that prevent competitive challenges to their reelection and ultimately increasing their discretion. Parker uses this premise to explain basic historical patterns in the evolution of Congress, from the lengthening of congressional terms of service to the unusual expansion in the number of committee assignments held by members of Congress.
Download or read book Institutional Change in Congress written by Fred Leroy Grogan and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Evolving Congress written by Congressional Research Congressional Research Service Library of Congress and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-05-17 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For 100 years, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) has been charged with providing nonpartisan and authoritative research and analysis to inform the legislative debate in Congress. This has involved a wide range of services, such as written reports on issues and the legislative process, consultations with Members and their staff, seminars on policy and procedural matters, and congressional testimony. The Government and Finance Division at CRS took a step back from its intensive day-to-day service to Congress to analyze important trends in the evolution of the institution-its organization and policymaking process-over the last many decades. Changes in the political landscape, technology, and representational norms have required Congress to evolve as the Nation's most democratic national institution of governance. The essays in this print demonstrate that Congress has been a flexible institution that has changed markedly in recent years in response to the social and political environment.
Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the American Congress written by Eric Schickler and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-03-14 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No legislature in the world has a greater influence over its nation's public affairs than the US Congress. The Congress's centrality in the US system of government has placed research on Congress at the heart of scholarship on American politics. Generations of American government scholars working in a wide range of methodological traditions have focused their analysis on understanding Congress, both as a lawmaking and a representative institution. The purpose of this volume is to take stock of this impressive and diverse literature, identifying areas of accomplishment and promising directions for future work. The editors have commissioned 37 chapters by leading scholars in the field, each chapter critically engages the scholarship focusing on a particular aspect of congressional politics, including the institution's responsiveness to the American public, its procedures and capacities for policymaking, its internal procedures and development, relationships between the branches of government, and the scholarly methodologies for approaching these topics. The Handbook also includes chapters addressing timely questions, including partisan polarization, congressional war powers, and the supermajoritarian procedures of the contemporary Senate. Beyond simply bringing readers up to speed on the current state of research, the volume offers critical assessments of how each literature has progressed - or failed to progress - in recent decades. The chapters identify the major questions posed by each line of research and assess the degree to which the answers developed in the literature are persuasive. The goal is not simply to tell us where we have been as a field, but to set an agenda for research on Congress for the next decade. The Oxford Handbooks of American Politics are a set of reference books offering authoritative and engaging critical overviews of the state of scholarship on American politics. Each volume focuses on a particular aspect of the field. The project is under the General Editorship of George C. Edwards III, and distinguished specialists in their respective fields edit each volume. The Handbooks aim not just to report on the discipline, but also to shape it as scholars critically assess the scholarship on a topic and propose directions in which it needs to move. The series is an indispensable reference for anyone working in American politics. General Editor for The Oxford Handbooks of American Politics: George C. Edwards III
Download or read book Is Congress Broken written by Gary J. Schmitt and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2017-03-21 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " Making Congress Work, Again, Within the Constitutional System Congress for many years has ranked low in public esteem—joining journalists, bankers, and union leaders at the bottom of polls. And in recent years there's been good reason for the public disregard, with the rise of hyper-partisanship and the increasing inability of Congress to carry out its required duties, such as passing spending bills on time and conducting responsible oversight of the executive branch. Congress seems so dysfunctional that many observers have all but thrown up their hands in despair, suggesting that an apparently broken U.S. political system might need to be replaced. Now, some of the country's foremost experts on Congress are reminding us that tough hyper-partisan conflict always has been a hallmark of the constitutional system. Going back to the nation's early decades, Congress has experienced periods of division and turmoil. But even in those periods Congress has been able to engage in serious deliberation, prevent ill-considered proposals from becoming law—and, over time, help develop a deeper, more lasting national consensus. The ten chapters in this volume focus on how Congress in the twenty-first century can once again fulfill its proper functions of representation, deliberation, legislation, and oversight. The authors offer a series of practical reforms that would maintain, rather than replace, the constitutional separation of powers that has served the nation well for more than 200 years. "
Download or read book Rivals for Power written by James A. Thurber and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2006 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Well-known scholars and practitioners of Congressional-Presidential relations come together to explore both branches of government and what unites as well as divides them. Highlights include chapters on budgetary politics in a time of deep deficit, the impacts of campaign message and election mandates, veto bargaining, and the making of U.S. foreign policy over four decades. Case studies of budget battles, trade wars, and the war in Iraq lend concrete detail to political theory. First-hand experience on the Hill and in the Oval Office--and everywhere in between--is reflected in each chapter. Visit our website for sample chapters!
Download or read book The Class of 74 written by John A. Lawrence and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2018-03-29 with total page 411 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thought-provoking look at the game-changing congressional Class of 1974. In November 1974, following the historic Watergate scandal, Americans went to the polls determined to cleanse American politics. Instead of producing the Republican majority foreshadowed by Richard Nixon’s 1972 landslide, dozens of GOP legislators were swept out of the House, replaced by 76 reforming Democratic freshmen. In The Class of '74, John A. Lawrence examines how these newly elected representatives bucked the status quo in Washington, helping to effectuate unprecedented reforms. Lawrence’s long-standing work in Congress afforded him unique access to former members, staff, House officers, journalists, and others, enabling him to challenge the time-honored reputation of the Class as idealistic, narcissistic, and naïve “Watergate Babies.” Their observations help reshape our understanding of the Class and of a changing Congress through frank, humorous, and insightful opinions. These reformers provided the votes to disseminate power, elevate suppressed issues, and expand participation by junior legislators in congressional deliberations. But even as such innovations empowered progressive Democrats, the greater openness they created, combined with changing undercurrents in American politics in the mid-1970s, facilitated increasingly bitter battles between liberals and conservatives. These disputes foreshadowed contemporary legislative gridlock and a divided Congress. Today, many observers point to gerrymandering, special-interest money, and a host of other developments to explain the current dysfunction of American politics. In The Class of '74, Lawrence argues that these explanations fail to recognize deep roots of partisanship. To fully understand the highly polarized political environment that now pervades the House and American politics, we must examine the complex politics, including a more open and contentious House, that emerged in the wake of Watergate.
Download or read book American Labor Congress and the Welfare State 1935 2010 written by Tracy Roof and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2011-05-23 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of labor unions and the American legislative process that explains how this came to be and what it means for American workers. Discusses the interplay between unions and Congress, showing the effects of each on the other, how the relationship has evolved, and the resulting political outcomes. Exploration of unions, Congress, and the political process challenges conventional explanations for organized labor's political failings. From publisher description.
Download or read book New Directions in Congressional Politics written by Jamie L. Carson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-03-26 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the U.S. Congress has steadily evolved since the Founding of our nation, so too has our understanding of the institution. The second edition of New Directions in Congressional Politics offers an accessible overview of the current developments in our understanding of America’s legislative branch. Jamie L. Carson and Michael S. Lynch help students bridge the gap between roles, rules, and outcomes by focusing on a variety of thematic issues: the importance of electoral considerations, legislators’ strategic behavior to accomplish objectives, the unique challenges of Congress as a bicameral institution in a polarized environment, and the often-overlooked policy outputs of the institution. This book brings together leading scholars of Congress to provide a general overview of the entire field. Each chapter covers the cutting-edge developments on its respective topic. As the political institution responsible for enacting laws, the American public regularly looks to the U.S. Congress to address the important issues of the day. The contributors in this volume help explain why staying atop the research trends helps us better understand these issues in the ever-changing field of American politics. New to the Second Edition New and updated chapters highlighting party recruitment, redistricting, women in Congress, the nationalization of Congressional elections, and the reassertion of Congressional oversight. A first look at Congressional-executive relations in the Trump era. Updated data through the 2018 Midterm elections.
Download or read book Too Weak to Govern written by Peter Hanson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-11-24 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Too Weak to Govern investigates the power of the majority party in the United States Senate through a study of the appropriations process over a period of nearly four decades. It uses quantitative analysis, case studies, and interviews with policy makers to show that the majority party is more likely to abandon routine procedures for passing spending bills in favor of creating massive 'omnibus' spending bills when it is small, divided, and ideologically distant from the minority. This book demonstrates that the majority party's ability to influence legislative outcomes is greater than previously understood but that it operates under important constraints. However, the majority generally cannot use its power to push its preferred policies through to approval. Overall, the weakness of the Senate majority party is a major reason for the breakdown of the congressional appropriations process over the past forty years.
Download or read book Engines of Change written by Daniel DiSalvo and published by OUP USA. This book was released on 2012-04-20 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title provides an account of the role of national intra-party 'factions' in American politics. Drawing from the last 150 years of American political history, DiSalvo explains how factions have shaped the parties' ideologies, impacted presidential nominations, structured patterns of presidential governance, and much more.
Download or read book The American Congress written by Steven S. Smith and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-07-31 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Completely up-to-date and with new learning features, the 8th edition of this respected textbook provides a fresh perspective and a crisp introduction to congressional politics. Informed by the authors' Capitol Hill experience and scholarship it features insights from the two Congresses of Obama's presidency, the 2012 elections, health care reform, and an early take on the 113th Congress. The text engages students by emphasizing the importance of a strong legislature in American democracy and has new end-of-chapter discussion questions and further reading. Alongside clear explanations of congressional rules and the law-making process there is a greater wealth of examples from contemporary events and debates, to highlight Congress as a group of politicians as well as a law-making body. These recent developments are presented within the context of congressional political history. This edition is also more visual – timelines and flow-charts have been added and the number of photos has doubled.
Download or read book Congress Reconsidered written by Lawrence C. Dodd and published by CQ Press. This book was released on 2020-12-03 with total page 545 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since its first edition, Congress Reconsidered was designed to make available the best contemporary work from leading congressional scholars in a form that is both challenging and accessible to undergraduates. With their Twelfth Edition, Lawrence C. Dodd, Bruce I. Oppenheimer, and C. Lawrence Evans continue this tradition as their contributors focus on how various aspects of Congress have changed over time: C. Lawrence Evans partners with Wendy Schiller to discuss the U.S. Senate and the meaning of dysfunction; Molly E. Reynolds analyzes the politics of the budget and appropriations process in a polarized Congress; and Danielle M. Thomsen looks at the role of women and voter preferences in the 2018 elections. With a strong new focus on political polarization, this bestselling volume remains on the cutting edge with key insights into the workings of Congress.
Download or read book Congressional Representation and Constituents written by Brian Frederick and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2009-12-04 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brian Frederick uses empirical data to scrutinize whether representation has been diminished by keeping a ceiling on the number of seats available in the House and argues that now is the time for the House to be increased in order to better represent a rapidly growing country.
Download or read book Electoral College Reform written by Gary Bugh and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-29 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States has not updated the Electoral College system since the Twelfth Amendment was ratified in 1804, despite public opinion polls showing a majority of Americans are in favor of changing or outright abolishing it. So why hasn't the United States reformed this system? Electoral College Reform brings together new essays examining all aspects of this crucial debate, including the reasons for reform, the issues surrounding a constitutional amendment, the effect of the Electoral College on political campaigns and the possibilities for extra-constitutional avenues to change. The authors consider both the Federalists' vision of balanced representation and a more democratic and equality-based ideal. These competing frameworks, perhaps more than any other factor, account for centuries of American indecision on this key issue. By offering an unprecedented and carefully researched analysis of an always controversial subject, this volume explores the potential for changing a system that many contend is long overdue.
