The Legislative Branch / Edition 1

by Paul J. Quirk, Sarah A. Binder

Overview

The checks and balances provided by the three branches of federal government are essential to nurturing and maintaining American democracy. With the guidance of coeditors Paul J. Quirk and Sarah A. Binder, this collection of essays examines the role of the Legislature in American democracy and the dynamic between the other branches of government, and discusses possible measures for reform.
The volume addresses questions such as: How does Congress serve the values of democracy and American constitutional principles? Which conceptions of those values does it implement, and which does it overlook or fail to realize? What are Congress's strengths and weaknesses in performing the tasks of democratic governance? What reforms, if any, are necessary to ensure the health and success of Congress as an institution of democracy in the future?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195309164
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/26/2006
Series:	Institutions of American Democracy
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	624
Product dimensions:	9.27(w) x 6.17(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

University of British Columbia

George Washington University

Table of Contents

DIRECTORY OF CONTRIBUTORSGENERAL INTRODUCTION: The Legislative Branch as an Institution of American Constitutional Democracy, Jaroslav PelikanINTRODUCTION: Congress and American Democracy: Institutions and Performance, Paul J. Quirk and Sarah A. Binder
SECTION I: IDEALS AND DEVELOPMENT1. Congress and the Constitutional System, Charles Stewart III2. Institutional Development of Congress, Eric Shickler3. Actions in the Public Square, David R. Mayhew
SECTION II: ELECTIONS AND REPRESENTATION4. Modern Campaigns and Representation, Gary C. Jacobson5. Elections, Parties, and Governance, Sarah A. Binder6. Representing Racial and Ethnic Minorities, David T. Canon
SECTION III: STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES7. Committees and Policy Formulation, David W. Rohde8. Parties and Leadership in the House, Barbara Sinclair9. Parties and Leadership in the Senate, Steven S. Smith
SECTION IV: POLICY AND PERFORMANCE10. Interests, Constituencies, and Policy Making, Frances E. Lee11. Deliberation and Decision Making, Paul J. Quirk12. Foreign Affairs and War, Christopher J. Deering13. Budgets and Fiscal Policy, Eric Patashnik14. Advice and Consent: Cooperation and Conflict in the Appointment of Federal Judges, Forrest Maltzman15. Congress and the Bureaucracy, Charles R. Shipan
SECTION V: ASSESSMENTS AND PROSPECTS16. Images of Congress, John R. Hibbing17. Politics of Congressional Reform, C. Lawrence Evans18. Congress and American Democracy: Assessing Institutional Performance, Paul J. Quirk and Sarah BinderAPPENDIXINDEX