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.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
An interesting volume on Congress and its democratic relationships with the people. Choice The author, a long-time Republican staff member in the U.S. Congress who played a key role in the events leading up to and following the Republican takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, eschews the traditional memoir in favor of a more ambitious approach. Certainly, Wolfensberger relies on stories from his tenure in the House, but he also plays the role of historian and political scientist. -- Neil Berch Controversia
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Für Beruf und Forschung
Produkt-Hinweis
Maße
Höhe: 229 mm
Breite: 152 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-8018-6726-2 (9780801867262)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Donald R. Wolfensberger served as a staff member in Congress from 1969 to 1997, working for such House members as John B. Anderson, Trent Lott, and Lynn Martin. He is currently the director of the Congress Project at the Woodrow Wilson Center.
Contents: Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Making a Constitution Chapter 2: The Bill of Rights: Madison Gets Religion Chapter 3: The Right to Petition: The Long Drive Chapter 4: Congress and the Progressive Era Chapter 5: The Initiative and Referendum Movement Chapter 6: National Referendum Proposals and the Isolationist Impulse Chapter 7: The Dawning of the Sunshine Seventies Chapter 8: A Window on Congress: Televising Floor Debates Chapter 9: The Revival of Direct Democracy Proposals Chapter 10: The Road to the Republican Revolution Chapter 11: The Road to Governance: Revolution, Reform, and Reality Chapter 12: Coming Full Circle: The Complete Revolution? Chapter 13: Term Limits and the Scarlet Letter Chapter 14: The Electronic Congress Chapter 15: The Curtain Falls Twice on the House Chapter 16: The Future of Deliberative Democracy Appendix A: Voter Turnout in States with and without Statutory Initiatives and/or Referendums, 1992 and 1996 General Elections Appendix B: House Legislative Data for 103d-105th Congresses Bibliography Index
