The American Congress

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

• ISBN13: 9780521708364
• ISBN10: 0521708362
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-01
• 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, this book 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 discussion of the place of the president, the courts, and interest groups in congressional policy making available in a text. The authors blend 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 the important ideas of recent political science research. The book includes a comprehensive list of suggested readings and Internet resources on Congress.

Table of Contents

The American Congress: Modern Trends	p. 1
Representation and Lawmaking in Congress: The Constitutional and Historical Context	p. 27
Congressional Elections and Policy Alignments	p. 53
Members, Goals, Resources, and Strategies	p. 87
Parties and Leaders	p. 121
The Standing Committees	p. 163
The Rules of the Legislative Game	p. 207
The Floor and Voting	p. 237
Congress and the President	p. 267
Congress and the Courts	p. 307
Congress, Lobbyists, and Interest Groups	p. 335
Congress and Budget Politics	p. 361
Appendix: (Introduction to the Spatial Theory of Legislating)	p. 387
Notes	p. 399
Suggested Readings	p. 405
Index	p. 423
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.