The American Congress

by Steven S. Smith , Jason M. Roberts , Ryan J. Vander Wielen

• ISBN13: 9780521673013
• ISBN10: 0521673011
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-12
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The American Congress provides the most insightful, up-to-date treatment of congressional politics available in an undergraduate text. Informed by the authors' Capitol Hill experience and nationally-recognized scholarship, The American Congress presents a crisp introduction to all major features of Congress: its party and committee systems, leadership, and voting and floor activity. The American Congress has the most in-depth discussions of the place of the president, the courts, and interest groups in congressional policy made available in a text. The text blends an emphasis on recent developments in congressional politics with a clear discussion of the rules of the game, the history of key features of Congress, and stories from recent Congresses that bring politics to life. No other text weaves into the discussion of the important ideas of recent political science research. The book includes the most comprehensive list of suggested readings and Internet resources on Congress.

Author Biography

Ryan J. Vander Wielen is a Graduate Fellow at the Weidenbaum Center at Washington University in St. Louis.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
The American Congress: Modern Trends	1	(24)
Representation and Lawmaking in Congress: The Constitutional and Historical Context	25	(28)
Congressional Elections and Policy Alignments	53	(38)
The Rules of the Legislative Game	91	(30)
Members, Goals, Resources, and Strategies	121	(32)
Parties and Leaders	153	(44)
The Standing Committees	197	(44)
The Floor and Voting	241	(30)
Congress and the President	271	(42)
Congress and the Courts	313	(28)
Congress, Lobbyists, and Interest Groups	341	(26)
Congress and Budget Politics	367	(26)
Notes	393	(24)
Suggested Readings	417	(16)
Index	433