Congress and Its Members

by Roger H. Davidson, Walter J. Oleszek, Frances E. Lee

Overview

This newly revised edition incorporates new and up-to-date material through mid-1997. The authors discuss new developments and fresh research findings regarding nearly every aspect of Congress.

The book's style is lively and informative, with an abundant use of charts, tables, graphs, photos, quotes, and vignettes to aid understanding of topics that include party politics, Congress and the president, and fundraising. Recent facts and trends are placed in the broader historical context essential for understanding how Congress works.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483388885
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	07/28/2015
Edition description:	Older Edition
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	xi
Part 1	In Search of the Two Congresses
1	The Two Congresses	3
	The Dual Nature of Congress	4
	Divergent Views of Congress	9
2	Evolution of the Modern Congress	13
	Antecedents of Congress	13
	Congress in the Constitution	17
	Institutional Evolution	26
	Evolution of the Legislator's Job	33
	Conclusion	39
Part 2	A Congress of Ambassadors
3	Going for It: Recruitment Roulette	41
	Formal Rules of the Game	42
	Districting in the House	46
	Becoming a Candidate	58
	Nominating Politics	68
	The Money Factor	70
	Conclusion	83
4	Making It: The Electoral Game	85
	Campaign Strategies	86
	Campaign Resources	88
	Campaign Techniques	96
	The Parallel Campaigns	100
	Who Votes?	101
	How Voters Decide	104
	Election Outcomes	116
	After the Election Is Over	121
5	Being There: Hill Styles and Home Styles	123
	Hill Styles	124
	Looking Homeward	137
	Office of the Member, Inc.	145
	Members and the Media	151
	Conclusion	156
Part 3	A Deliberative Assembly of One Nation
6	Leaders and Parties in Congress	159
	Leaders of the House	160
	Leaders of the Senate	173
	Selection of Leaders	183
	Leadership Activities	184
	Party Caucuses, Committees, and Informal Groups	189
	Party Continuity and Change	192
	Conclusion	197
7	Committees: Workshops of Congress	199
	The Purposes of Committees	200
	Evolution of the Committee System	202
	Types of Committees	203
	The Assignment Process	209
	Committee Leadership	217
	Policy Making in Committee	217
	Committee Staff	222
	Committee Reform and Change	224
	Conclusion	228
8	Congressional Rules and Procedures	231
	Introduction of Bills	233
	Referral of Bills	236
	Scheduling in the House	238
	House Floor Procedures	246
	Scheduling in the Senate	250
	Senate Floor Procedures	253
	Resolving House-Senate Differences	257
	Conclusion	260
9	Decision Making in Congress	263
	The Power to Choose	264
	Types of Decisions	265
	Determinants of Voting	273
	Giving and Taking Cues	282
	Legislative Bargaining	284
	Conclusion	289
Part 4	Policy Making and Change in the Two Congresses
10	Congress and the President	293
	The President as Legislator	294
	Lobbying Congress	308
	Sources of Legislative-Executive Cooperation	312
	Sources of Legislative-Executive Conflict	315
	The Balance of Power	317
	Conclusion	319
11	Congress, the Bureaucracy, and the Courts	321
	Congress Organizes the Executive Branch	322
	Congressional Control of the Bureaucracy	335
	Congress and the Courts	342
	Conclusion	346
12	Congress and Organized Interests	349
	A Nation of Joiners	349
	Pressure Group Methods	351
	Groups and the Electoral Connection	357
	Groups and Legislative Politics	361
	Informal Groups of Members	363
	Regulation of Lobbying	364
	Conclusion	368
13	Congress, Budgets, and Domestic Policy Making	371
	Definitions of Policy	371
	Stages of Policy Making	372
	Types of Domestic Policies	375
	Characteristics of Congressional Policy Making	378
	Congressional Budgeting	380
	The 1974 Budget Act	386
	The Dawn of the Surplus Era?	389
	Conclusion	394
14	Congress and National Security Policies	397
	Constitutional Powers	398
	Who Speaks for Congress?	399
	Types of Foreign and National Security Policies	401
	Structural Policies	402
	Strategic Policies	406
	Crisis Policies: The War Powers	414
	Conclusion: Congress and Globalization	418
	Conclusion
15	The Two Congresses and the American People	421
	Congress-as-Politicians	422
	Congress-as-Institution	426
	Into the Third Century	430
	Reference Materials	435
Appendix A.	Party Control: Presidency, Senate, House, 1901-2001	436
Appendix B.	The Partisan Landscape, 2000: Presidential Voting by Congressional District	438
Appendix C.	Internships: Getting Experience on Capitol Hill	440
	Notes	442
	Suggested Readings	483
	Index	489

Editorial Reviews

A broad reference on the legislative branch of the US government for general readers and college students taking courses on the legislative process or national policy making. First published in 1981 and here updated through July 1997 to analyze such current issues as the irrelevancy of campaign finance laws in the context of campaign fundraising and the politics of reform, new leaders and party organizations in the House and Senate, and comparisons between the 104th and 105th Congresses. Paper edition (unseen), $34.95. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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