Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process

by Oleszek, Walter J.

• ISBN13: 9781568028194
• ISBN10: 1568028199
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780872893030
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Cq Pr
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Author Biography

Walter J. Oleszek is a senior specialist in American national government at the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress

Table of Contents

Tables, Figures, and Boxes	xi
Preface	xv
Congress and Lawmaking	1	(38)
The Constitutional Context	2	(3)
Functions of Rules and Procedures	5	(5)
Rules and Policy Making in Congress	10	(7)
Congressional Decision Making	17	(6)
The House and Senate Compared	23	(6)
Pressures on Members	29	(10)
The Congressional Budget Process	39	(37)
Overview	40	(2)
Authorization-Appropriations Process	42	(14)
Prelude to Budget Reform	56	(1)
The 1974 Budget Act	57	(12)
Evolution of the Budget Process	69	(2)
A Brief Surplus Era	71	(1)
The Challenge Ahead	72	(4)
Preliminary Legislative Action	76	(34)
Categories of Legislation	77	(2)
Bill Referral Procedure	79	(9)
Consideration in Committee	88	(1)
The Committee Chair's Role	89	(2)
Committee Hearings	91	(5)
The Markup	96	(6)
The Report	102	(2)
Bypassing Committees	104	(6)
Scheduling Legislation in the House	110	(43)
The House Legislative Calendars	111	(1)
Minor and Noncontroversial Bills	112	(7)
Privileged Legislation	119	(1)
Major Legislation	120	(21)
Legislation Blocked in Committee	141	(5)
Final Scheduling Steps	146	(7)
House Floor Procedure	153	(34)
Adoption of the Rule	155	(1)
Committee of the Whole	156	(2)
General Debate	158	(6)
The Amending Process	164	(11)
Voting	175	(4)
Final Procedural Steps	179	(8)
Scheduling Legislation in the Senate	187	(30)
Flexible Scheduling System	187	(7)
Noncontroversial Bills	194	(5)
Major Legislation	199	(4)
Unanimous Consent Agreements	203	(9)
The Track System	212	(1)
Scheduling Procedures Compared	213	(4)
Senate Floor Procedure	217	(38)
Legislative and Calendar Days	219	(1)
Daily Order of Business	220	(1)
Debate in the Modern Senate	221	(4)
Bills Considered by Unanimous Consent	225	(2)
The Amending Process	227	(11)
Bills without Unanimous Consent	238	(9)
Procedures to Circumvent Committees	247	(8)
Resolving House-Senate Differences	255	(34)
Obscurity of the Process	255	(2)
Agreement without a Conference	257	(2)
Preconference Considerations	259	(2)
Conference Committee Process	261	(21)
Presidential Approval or Veto	282	(7)
Legislative Oversight	289	(26)
Oversight: An Overview	290	(4)
Techniques of Oversight	294	(12)
Impeachment	306	(1)
Oversight Trends and Incentives	306	(2)
Lack of Consensus on Oversight	308	(7)
A Dynamic Process	315	(12)
Glossary of Congressional Terms	327	(14)
Selected Bibliography	341	(4)
Selected Internet Sources	345	(2)
Index	347