The American Congress: A Reference Handbook

by Sara L. Hagedorn, Michael C. LeMay

Overview

This volume thoroughly examines the operations and politics of the U.S. Congress. It guides readers to their own assessment of congressional politics and provides them with the basis for future reading and study of the subject.

The American Congress: A Reference Handbook covers Congress from its inception to the present day, discussing the constitutional functions of Congress and how they have evolved over time. It presents a detailed discussion of 15 problems with which Congress copes, some associated concerns with those problems, and how they might be resolved.

The book opens with a brief history of Congress and how it has changed over time. It discusses a series of problems and concerns, and proposed solutions to those problems. It also comprises nine original essays by other scholars and persons involved in congressional politics as well as profiles of the major organizations and actors involved. Data and documents and a detailed chronology of Congress from 1789 to 2018 allow readers to situate significant legislation within the history of Congress, while an annotated list of sources—the major books and scholarly jourbanals concerned with Congress in addition to a number of feature-length films and videos—provide readers with vetted resources for further study.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440865800
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/24/2019
Series:	Contemporary World Issues
Pages:	404
Product dimensions:	6.35(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Sara L. Hagedorn, PhD, is assistant professor of political science at the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs.

Michael C. LeMay, PhD, is professor emeritus of political science at California State University–San Bernardino with 35 years experience teaching at the university level.

Table of Contents

Preface,
1 Background and History,
Introduction,
The Constitution-Based Functions and Powers of the American Congress and How They Have Changed over Time,
The Changing Role of the Lawmaking Function of the American Congress,
Lawmaking during the Early Years of Congress: 1789–1830,
The Decentralized Congress: 1830–1860,
The Rise of the Two-Party System and Evolution of the Modern Congress, 1860–1920,
The Textbook Congress: 1920–1970,
The Reform Congress: 1980–2000,
The Changing Role of Congressional Budget Powers Post–World War II,
The Changing Role of the Representation Function,
The Changing Role in Congressional War-Making Powers,
The Changing Role in Congressional Oversight of the Other Branches,
The Changing Role in the Advice and Consent, Treaty Approval, and Appointive Power,
Conclusion,
References,
2 Problems, Controversies, and Solutions,
Introduction,
The Congressional–Presidential Relationship,
Legislative Agenda,
Veto and Override,
War Powers,
Advice and Consent,
Impeachment,
Institutional Rules, Norms, and Constraints,
House–Senate Differences,
Unanimous Consent, Holds, and Filibusters,
Additional Differences,
Drafting, Considering, and Passing Legislation,
The Budget,
Leadership,
Committee Structure,
Congressional Staff,
Outside Influences,
The Perpetual Campaign,
Representation Conflicts,
Interest Groups and Lobbyists,
Partisan Considerations,
Women and Minorities in Congress,
Congressional Ethics,
Solutions,
References,
3 Perspectives,
Preparing for the Senate Confirmation Process Chad Calvert,
Refocusing on Policy Dynamics Adam Cayton,
The Importance of Increasing Women's Representation in the U.S. Congress Kathleen Dolan,
Effective Tribal Advocacy: Sovereignty + Grassroots + Substance + Money Danna R. Jackson, Esq.,
The President and the Congress Joshua Kennedy,
Ideology in Congress Verlan Lewis,
A Legacy of Women on Capitol Hill: Legislation and Leadership Summer Mersinger,
The Marginalization of Congress Christina G. Villegas,
4 Profiles,
Introduction,
Organizations,
America Leads,
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations,
Americans for Prosperity,
Brookings Institute,
CATO Institute,
Club for Growth,
Congressional Black Caucus,
Congressional Budget Office,
Congressional Hispanic Caucus,
Congressional Research Service,
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee,
Democratic National Committee,
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee,
EMILY's List,
Federal Elections Commission,
FreedomWorks for America,
Government Accountability Office,
Heritage Foundation,
Majority Leader of the U.S. House and Senate,
Minority Leader of the U.S. House and Senate,
National Archives and Records Administration,
National Republican Congressional Committee,
National Republican Senatorial Committee,
National Rifle Association,
Office of Congressional Ethics,
Office of Management and Budget,
PEW Research Center,
Republican National Committee,
Senate Majority PAC,
Speaker of the House,
The Tea Party Movement,
People,
Abramoff, Jack (1958–),
Armey, Richard "Dick" (1940–),
Boehner, John (1949–),
Calhoun, John C. (1782–1850),
Cannon, Joseph Gurbaney (1836–1926),
Clay, Henry (1777–1852),
Collins, Susan (1952–),
Cruz, Rafael Edward "Ted" (1970–),
Dingell, John (1926–2019),
Feinstein, Dianne (1933–),
Gingrich, Newt (1943–),
Johnson, Lyndon B. (1908–1973),
Kennedy, Edward Moore "Ted" (1932–2009),
Koch, David (1940–),
Lieberman, Joseph (1942–),
Limbaugh, Rush (1951–),
Lujan, Ben Ray (1972–),
Madison, James (1751–1836),
Mansfield, Mike (1903–2001),
McCain, John (1936–2018),
McConnell, Mitch (1942–),
Murdoch, Rupert (1931–),
Murkowski, Lisa (1957–),
Norquist, Grover (1956–),
O'Neill, Thomas Philip, Jr. "Tip" (1912–1994),
Pelosi, Nancy (1940–),
Rankin, Jeannette (1880–1973),
Rayburban, Samuel Taliaferro (1882–1961),
Reid, Harry (1939–),
Ryan, Paul (1970–),
Sanders, Bernie (1941–),
Schumer, Charles "Chuck" (1950–),
Soros, George (1930–),
Trumka, Richard (1949–),
Van Buren, Martin (1782–1862),
Webster, Daniel (1782–1852),
5 Data and Documents,
Data,
Table 5.1 Partisan Control of Congress,
Figure 5.1 Population per U.S. House District,
Figure 5.2 U.S House and Senate Reelection Rates, 1964–2018,
Figure 5.3 Changes in Seats after the 2010 Census,
Figure 5.4 Average Spending by Winner, 1990–2016,
Figure 5.5 Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Congress,
Figure 5.6 Number of Women in the House and Senate,
Figure 5.7 Number of Presidential Vetoes per Congress,
Table 5.2 Declarations of War and Military Engagement by Congress,
Table 5.3 Tie-Breaking Votes by the Vice President,
Figure 5.8 Trust in the Legislative Branch,
Documents,
The Constitution of the United States,
The Louisiana Purchase (1803),
The Missouri Compromise (1820),
Permanent Apportionment Act (1929),
U.S. Declaration of War against Japan (December 8, 1941),
The War Powers Resolution (November 7, 1973),
Establishment of the Congressional Budget Office (1974),
INS v. Chadha et al. (1983),
Clinton v. City of New York (1998),
Articles of Impeachment against William Jefferson Clinton (1998),
Authorization for the Use of Force (September 18, 2001),
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (2007),
6 Resources,
Books,
Leading Scholarly Jourbanals,
Nonprint Sources,
Films,
Videos,
Websites,
7 Chronology,
Glossary,
Index,
About the Authors,

Editorial Reviews

Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty.” —Choice

From the Publisher