Congress and the People : Deliberative Democracy on Trial

by Wolfensberger, Donald R.

• ISBN13: 9780801863073
• ISBN10: 0801863074
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-09-01
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr

Summary

Will some form of direct democracy supplant representative, deliberative government in the twenty-first century United States? That question is at the heart of Donald R. Wolfensberger's history of Congress and congressional reform, which runs back to the Constitution's creation of a popularly elected House of Representatives and forward to the surreal ending of the 105th Congress, featuring barrels of pork, resignation of the speaker, and impeachment of the president. The author's expertise comes from twenty-eight years as a staff member in the House, culminating in service as chief of staff of the powerful House Rules Committee. He was a top parliamentary expert and a principal Republican procedural strategist. Sensitive to the power of process, Wolfensberger is an authoritative guide to reform efforts of earlier eras. And as a participant in reforms since the 1960s, he offers a unique perspective on forging the "1970s sunshine coalition," televising House proceedings, debating term limits, and coping with democracy in an electronic age.

Author Biography

Donald R. Wolfensberger is currently director of the Congress Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	1	(8)
Making a Constitution	9	(12)
The Bill of Rights: Madison Gets Religion	21	(7)
The Right to Petition: The Long Drive	28	(13)
Congress and the Progressive Era	41	(15)
The Initiative and Referendum Movement	56	(15)
National Referendum Proposals and the Isolationist Impulse	71	(15)
The Dawning of the Sunshine Seventies	86	(17)
A Window on Congress: Televising Floor Debates	103	(26)
The Revival of Direct Democracy Proposals	129	(18)
The Road to the Republican Revolution	147	(28)
The Road to Governance: Revolution, Reform, and Reality	175	(17)
Coming Full Circle: The Complete Revolution?	192	(19)
Term Limits and the Scarlet Letter	211	(18)
The Electronic Congress	229	(20)
The Curtain Falls Twice on the House	249	(18)
The Future of Deliberative Democracy	267	(20)
Appendix A: Voter Turnout in States with and without Statutory Initiatives and/or Referendums, 1992 and 1996 General Elections	287	(4)
Appendix B: House Legislative Data for 103d-105th Congresses	291	(2)
Bibliography	293	(4)
Index	297