The American Congress Reader

The American Congress Reader is a supplement to the American Congress textbook.

Steven S. Smith (Author), Jason M. Roberts (Author), Ryan J. Vander Wielen (Author)

9780521720199, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 15 December 2008

480 pages
25.1 x 17.8 x 2.8 cm, 0.84 kg

The American Congress Reader provides a supplement to the popular and updated American Congress undergraduate textbook. By the same authors who drew upon Capitol Hill experience and nationally recognized scholarship to present a crisp introduction and analysis of Congress's inner mechanics, the Reader compiles the best relevant scholarship on party and committee systems, leadership, voting, and floor activity to broaden and illuminate the key features of the text.

Part I. The American Congress: Modern Trends: 1. What is wrong with the American political system? John Hibbing and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse
2. A reassessment of who's to blame David W. Brady and Sean M. Theriault
3. Between the campaigns James A. Stimson
Part II. Representation and Lawmaking in Congress: The Constitutional and Historical Context: 4. US Constitution, Articles I, II, III, and Amendments
5. The Federalist, Nos. 10 and 51
6. US House members in their constituencies Richard A. Fenno, Jr.
7. Collective vs dyadic representation in Congress Robert Weissberg
Part III. Congressional Elections and Policy Alignments: 8. Elbridge Gerry's Salamander excerpt Gary W. Cox and Jonathan N. Katz
9. Strategic politicians and the dynamics of US House elections, 1946–86 Gary C. Jacobson
10. Congress: the electoral connection David R. Mayhew
Part IV. Members, Goals, Resources, and Strategies: 11. Senate representation and coalition building in distributive politics Frances E. Lee
12. Risk-bearing and progressive ambition David W. Rohde
13. Issue Politics in Congress excerpts Tracy Sulkin
Part V. Parties and Leaders: 14. Institutional context and leadership style Joseph Cooper and David W. Brady
15. Setting the agenda Gary W. Cox and Mathew D. McCubbins
16. Party influences in Congress Steven S. Smith
Part VI. The Standing Committees: 17. Distributive and partisan issues in agriculture policy in the 104th House Mark S. Hurwitz, Roger J. Moiles and David W. Rohde
18. Principals, goals, dimensionality, and Congressional committees Forrest Maltzman and Steven S. Smith
19. Nonlegislative hearings and policy change in Congress Jeffrey C. Talbert, Bryan D. Jones and Frank R. Baumgartner
Part VII. The Rules of the Legislative Game: 20. Sample of a special rule
21. Sample of a unanimous consent agreement
22. On the effects of legislative rules Gary W. Cox
23. The partisan basis of procedural choice Sarah A. Binder
24. The evolution of agenda-setting institutions in congress Jason M. Roberts and Steven S. Smith
Part VIII. The Floor and Voting: 25. Greasing the Wheels excerpt Diana Evans
26. Models of legislative voting John W. Kingdon
27. Pivotal Politics excerpt Keith Krebhiel
Part IX. Congress and the President: 28. Presidential veto messages
29. Presidential signing statement
30. Veto bargaining Charles Cameron
31. The dynamics of legislative gridlock, 1947–96 Sarah A. Binder
32. The Politics of Shared Power excerpt Louis Fisher
33. Conscience of a conservative Jeffrey Rosen
Part X. Congress and the Courts: 34. Senate voting on Supreme Court nominees Charles M. Cameron, Albert D. Cover and Jeffrey A. Segal
35. From Abe Fortas to Zoe Baird Glen S. Krutz, Richard Fleisher and Jon R. Bond
Part XI. Congress, Lobbyists, and Interest Groups: 36. Buying time Richard L. Hall and Frank W. Wayman
37. Legislative Lobbying excerpt John Wright
Part XII. Congress and Budget Politics: 38. Appropriations in the republican era Diana Evans
39. Pet projects veil is only partly lifted John Solomon and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Part XIII. Further Readings on Congressional Politics: 40. Introduction to the spatial theory of legislating Steven S. Smith, Jason M. Roberts and Ryan J. Vander Wielen
41. The institutional foundations of committee power Kenneth A. Shepsle and Barry R. Weingast
42. The return to equilibrium Gerald S. Strom.

Subject Areas: Constitution: government & the state [JPHC], Political structure & processes [JPH], Politics & government [JP]