The Legislative Branch
Published on 27. April 2006
Book
Paperback/Softback
624 pages
978-0-19-530916-4 (ISBN)
Description
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?
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?
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
32 halftones, maps & line illus.
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
925 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-530916-4 (9780195309164)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Editor
Phil Lind Chair in United States Politics and Representation, Department of Political SciencePhil Lind Chair in United States Politics and Representation, Department of Political Science, University of British Columbia
Associate Professor of Political ScienceAssociate Professor of Political Science, George Washington University
Content
DIRECTORY OF CONTRIBUTORS ; GENERAL INTRODUCTION: The Legislative Branch as an Institution of American Constitutional Democracy ; INTRODUCTION: Congress and American Democracy: Institutions and Performance ; SECTION I: IDEALS AND DEVELOPMENT ; 1. Congress and the Constitutional System ; 2. Institutional Development of Congress ; 3. Actions in the Public Square ; SECTION II: ELECTIONS AND REPRESENTATION ; 4. Modern Campaigns and Representation ; 5. Elections, Parties, and Governance ; 6. Representing Racial and Ethnic Minorities ; SECTION III: STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES ; 7. Committees and Policy Formulation ; 8. Parties and Leadership in the House ; 9. Parties and Leadership in the Senate ; SECTION IV: POLICY AND PERFORMANCE ; 10. Interests, Constituencies, and Policy Making ; 11. Deliberation and Decision Making ; 12. Foreign Affairs and War ; 13. Budgets and Fiscal Policy ; 14. Advice and Consent: Cooperation and Conflict in the Appointment of Federal Judges ; 15. Congress and the Bureaucracy ; SECTION V: ASSESSMENTS AND PROSPECTS ; 16. Images of Congress ; 17. Politics of Congressional Reform ; 18. Congress and American Democracy: Assessing Institutional Performance ; APPENDIX ; INDEX