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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 328
EAN num: 9780872893573
ISBN number: 087289357X
Label: CQ Press
Manufacturer: CQ Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 498
Printing Date: July 16, 2007
Publishing house: CQ Press
Release Date: July 16, 2007
Sale Popularity Level: 232589
Studio: CQ Press
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Product Description:
The tension between Congress as a lawmaking institution and Congress as a collection of re-election-minded politicians has proven to be a powerful and effective way to understand Congress and the legislative process. Over nine editions, thousands of students have benefited from Davidson and Oleszek's tightly organized framework, as well as from their engaging and vivid narrative. Helping students understand the institution's evolution, Congress and Its Members paints broad brush strokes, while effectively showing enough colour and detail to ground students in important concepts.
Each chapter of the tenth edition will feature new analysis of the most recent and important scholarship. While the authors discuss the overall position and prospects for congressional government, they will include up-to-the-minute details on:
- the 2004 congressional elections and ongoing party realignment indicating Republican dominance for the foreseeable future;
- the state of campaign finance, including performance under the McCain-Feingold legislation;
- the majority leader's efforts to strengthen his powers and the role of the new Democratic leaders in challenging the GOP's agenda;
- party realignment from the standpoint of floor voting, including the decline of the middle;
- the consequences of war for the legislative branch and for the separation of powers, as well as reorganization due to homeland security and intelligence reform;
- the new rules for the 109th Congress, with the possibility of changes in the Senate's filibuster rule and unusual procedures to pass legislation;
- the outlook for a second term president and the role of the minority party in challenging an assertive White House;
- big government conservatism, new regulatory trends, the rules and tools for effective oversight, and the shadow government of contractors;
- legislative-judicial conflicts, including controversies in naming judges to the federal bench;
- the return of deficits, the growing use of earmarks, congressional budget reforms, and the conflict between discretionary versus entitlement spending.
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Rated by buyers 
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The authors are acknowledged experts on the mechanics of the U.S. Congress. They convey acquaintance with the human side of the institution through a folksy style and many anecdotes. They describe "two Congresses", the very first relating to constituents, and the second to colleagues. What about performance? What about effectiveness?
Polls now (2008) record an all-time low of 9% for Congress's approval rating. This highlights the authors' glaring myopia and essential omission of the reason for the existence of Congress - to manage the affairs of the nation in a balanced and efficient way.
No doubt, most Senators and Representatives do an excellent job of helping their constituents. They know that reelection depends on this service. The U.S. Congress is probably unique in the world in citizens' acess to effective assistance in interfacing with government on a personal level.
But it was not until I recently had occasion to compare U.S. lawmaking with that in leading European nations' parliaments that I realized - to my shock - the arbitrary, serendipitous, and dysfunctional way Congress has come to function since the 1960s. In EU nations' parliaments the party in power initiates a concept for a new major law by very first sending it to a relevant ministry. There the concept gets a careful assessment: short-term, long-term impact, vetting with various constituencies affected by the proposed policy, cost, etc. A draft law with the assessment comes back to the governing party or coalition. It is then submitted to the full parliament for debate, amendment, and vote. The pre-analysis process catches conflicts with earlier laws, policies that will generate problems or hostilities gaps and other weaknesses. Dialoging and communication is key.
The post-1970s U.S. system could not be more different. ~10,000 bills [pour into each (2-year) Congress. The majority get no action at all in the standing committees- many are framl;u introduced mainly to register activity and concern about issues with constituents. Many are blatantly partisan and narrowly drawn. Even more carefully written bills are rarely coordinated with other authors - or similar initiatives in other committees. Except for assessing cost and links to existing law the fate of bills is largely at the discretion of committee chairpersons and majority leaders. Partisan gridlock has largely paralyzed Congressional activity in the big issues. In these or noncontroversial areas Members feel free to write fragmentary, intrusive, micromanaging laws in areas where Congress has no formal expertise - like science, environment, that should rightfully be in the hands of professional agencies. With the enormous crush of new bills and other activities that every committee and the Congress as a whole must manage, there is no way Congress can maintain continuous oversight over detailed programs initiated by past enacted legislation.
So it is no wonder that in the past 30 years or more the landscape has become littered with failed or foundered Congressional initiatives - each of which may have begun with enthusiasm and often substantial funding outlays.It's shocking but part of the reason that the U.S. is in the trouble it is in, that experts like the authors, as well as politicians, can absorb themselves in their special interests and forget all about "minding the store". Three stars for mechanics - zero for the rest.
Rated by buyers 
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I have ordered this book in its many editions for classes that I have taught on Congress and Legislative Politics. It is one of the best general texts available--and readily accessible to those who are simply interested in the politics of Congress.
One of the key points made by the authors is that there are "two Congresses": One of these is the Congress of "how a bill becomes a law," of the actions and politics characteristic of Capitol Hill. The other is the operation of representatives in their home districts, acting on behalf of their constituents, "the folks back home." The two worlds that members of Congress live in (Washington D. C. and "back home") can produce tensions and dilemmas for members of the legislature. But these conflicts help us to understand the complex nature of Congressional politics and decision-making.
Lawmakers cannot just live in the one Congress or the other. They must navigate and negotiate between the two.
This text covers the full territory, from the history of Congress, to how one ends up getting elected to Congress, to how Congress works and its interactions with other key political actors, to the policy process of which Congress is a key.
For anyone--students or citizens--interested in the nature of Congress, this represents a good starting point.
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I received my book on time and in great condition!! Better than I had expected! Thank you!!
Rated by buyers -
This is probably the best textbook on Congress for undergraduates that I have seen. Primarily I like it because it's easy to read and very well written, covers all the important topics, and is not tedious. Now you might think being easy to read isn't important since it's for college students. But believe me, if you want students to actually read the assignment, more engaging texts are important.
Rated by buyers 
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If you are looking for a textbook for upper-division classes on Congress, this is the one. It is thorough, full of interesting stories and examples, it's not too long, and it's easy to read. Oh, and it has lots of pictures! If you want to know how the US Congress works, this is the best text I've seen.
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