LibGuides: Congress: Books & eBooks

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Americans, Congress, and Democratic Responsiveness Voters may not know the details of specific policies, but they have a general sense of how well Congress serves their own interests; and astute politicians pay attention to public approval ratings. When the majority party is unpopular, as during the 2008 election, both voters and politicians take a hand in reconfiguring the House and the Senate. Voters throw hardline party members out of office while candidates who continue to run under the party banner distance themselves from party ideology. In this way, public approval directly affects policy shifts as well as turnovers at election time. Contrary to the common view of Congress as an insulated institution, Jones and McDermott argue that Congress is indeed responsive to the people of the United States.
Congress: The First Branch An introduction to the U.S. Congress, from seasoned political historians and teachers In this accessible overview of the United States Congress's past and present, Ginsberg and Hill introduce students to the country's most democratic institution. This text surveys Congressional elections, the internal structure of Congress, the legislative process, Congress and the President, and Congress and the courts. Congress: The First Branch offers a fresh approach to the First Branch grounded in a historical, positive frame.
Congressional Procedures The Senate's procedures are determined not only by its standing rules, but also by its standing orders, published precedents, committee rules, and informal practices. Constitutional mandates and rule-making statutes also impose procedural requirements on the Senate, and rules of Senate party conferences can sometimes affect committee and floor action. Parliamentary reference sources set forth the text of these authorities or provide information about how and when they govern different parliamentary situations. This book discusses the coverage, format, and availability of three types of Senate parliamentary reference sources: official sources such as the Senate Manual and Riddick's Senate Procedure; publications of committees and offices of the Senate; and rules of party conferences. The book also reviews some key principles of Senate parliamentary procedure that bear on appropriate use of these sources. Summaries and appendices provide citations to print and electronic versions, and list related Congressional Research Service (CRS) products. The Senate sets forth its chief procedural authorities in the Senate Manual, a new edition of which appears periodically as a Senate Document and is distributed to Senators' and committee offices. Among these authorities, the Senate also publishes its Standing Rules as a separate document, and the Constitution is available in an annotated edition prepared by CRS. The Manual also contains more specialized authorities, such as permanent standing orders, rules for impeachment trials, and a manual of procedures related to House-Senate conferences. Other Senate procedural authorities include Riddick's Senate Procedure, last published in 1992 but with online updates, which offers a topically ordered digest of precedents interpreting Senate procedures and standard forms for procedural action. The Senate also often regulates itself through orders entered by unanimous consent, either as standing orders or for the consideration of individual measures; these can often most readily be found in the Congressional Record. Some statutes contain "rule-making" provisions that act as procedural authorities, though no Senate source compiles all of them. Each committee adopts its own written rules, which are published in the Record and compiled, in each Congress, in Authority and Rules of Senate Committees, a print of the Committee on Rules and Administration. Other Senate committee prints, which provide supporting information on elements of Senate procedure, include Budget Process Law Annotated, the Senate Cloture Rule, and Treaties and Other International Agreements. The parliamentarians in both chambers have prepared concise summary documents on procedure in the legislative process. In the Senate, currently only the Republican Conference appears to have adopted written rules.
Electing Congress This companion guide to the celebrated How Congress Works delivers a solid, broad-based introduction to how American voters elect their representatives. Historical perspective covers how the process has changed throughout our country's history, as one barrier to voting after another has fallen to pressure for wider suffrage. In Electing Congress, election experts examine why only half of those who are eligible to vote actually exercise their franchise in major elections, and even fewer in off years without a presidential contest. They present a coherent picture of the demographic makeup of Congress, the direction of political parties, campaign financing, reapportionment and redistricting. Electing Congress is the easy-to-read and authoritative source that covers the essentials in every aspect of how America elects its legislators.
How Congress Works and Why You Should Care An inside look at the way Congress works and how it impacts the lives of all Americans, by an eminent former Congressman.
How Laws are Made in the USA. This book is intended to provide a basic outline of the numerous steps of our federal lawmaking process from the source of an idea for a legislative proposal through its publication as a statute. It is hoped that this book will enable readers to gain a greater understanding of the federal legislative process and its role as one of the foundations of our representative system. One of the most practical safeguards of the American democratic way of life is this legislative process with its emphasis on the protection of the minority, allowing ample opportunity to all sides to be heard and make their views known. The fact that a proposal cannot become a law without consideration and approval by both Houses of Congress is an outstanding virtue of our bicameral legislative system. The open and full discussion provided under the Constitution often results in the notable improvement of a bill by amendment before it becomes law or in the eventual defeat of an inadvisable proposal. As the majority of laws originate in the House of Representatives, this discussion will focus principally on the procedure in that body.
An Introduction to the U. S. Congress What does Congress do? How does it do it? Why is it such a complicated institution? This concise primer offers students and general readers a brief and systematic introduction to Congress and the role it plays in the US political system. Drawing on his experience as a former Congressional staff member, the author explores the different political natures of the House and Senate, examines Congress's interaction with other branches of the Federal government, and looks ahead to the domestic and foreign challenges that are likely to drive the Congressional agenda for decades to come. The book provides revealing insights into the sometimes-contradictory Congressional responsibilities of representation and lawmaking; oversight and appropriation; and managing and organizing the government. It includes a case study (on the formation of the Department of Homeland Security) that sheds light on Congress's often-complicated procedures. The book also includes boxed features on Congressional action - highlighting such topics as file sharing and student loans - that show students how Congress's work affects their lives. Chapter-ending lists of web resources add to the book's usefulness.
Party Polarization in Congress The political parties in Congress are as polarized as they have been in 100 years. This book examines more than 30 years of congressional history to understand how it is that the Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill have become so divided. It finds that two steps were critical for this development. First, the respective parties' constituencies became more politically and ideologically aligned. Second, members ceded more power to their party leaders, who implemented procedures more frequently and with greater consequence. In fact, almost the entire rise in party polarization can be accounted for in the increasing frequency of and polarization on procedures used during the legislative process.
The Powers of the U. S. Congress Offering a unique resource for students, scholars, and citizens, this work fully explains all of the 21 enumerated powers of the U.S. Congress, from the "power of the purse" to the power to declare war. Presents comprehensive coverage of all congressional powers through authoritative essays by recognized experts. Enables readers to connect the long-ago goals and perspectives of the Founding Fathers to current issues and controversies. Facilitates a fully contextualized understanding of the legislative power of Congress--and the extent and limitations of leverage that it can wield on domestic and foreign policy. Provides an accessible gateway to further, more detailed research of each of the individual congressional powers. Includes appendices containing the full texts of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union and the Constitution of the United States.
Under the Iron Dome: Congress from the Inside This book provides a glimpse into the professional lives of members of Congress and the staff, political consultants, and others who work beneath the Capitol's iconic dome. It shows some of the historic challenges, daily trials and tribulations, and public and private triumphs and failures that defi ne working life on the Hill. Original chapters by practitioners who have been there off er a fresh understanding of congressional elections, policy making, and party leadership, as well as landmark institutional developments, such as the growing influence of women and minorities in the legislative process. Each author brings a personal knowledge of Congress, providing unique insight into the opaque world of committee assignments, the hustle and bustle of fl oor activity, the cross- examination of committee testimony, and the beehive of activity in a member's Washington or district offi ce, or committee's office. Collectively, they provide keen insights into the institutions, procedures, and politics that shape congressional policy making. Additionally, the historic two impeachments of then- President Donald J. Trump are examined to showcase some of the extraordinary politics taking place on Capitol Hill. Aimed at anyone working in Congress or wanting to infl uence public policy, this book is also an excellent classroom supplement for political science courses at every level and a compelling read for citizens who want to understand how Congress works and why it sometimes does not.
The United States Congress The role of Congress is essential to any study of American government and politics. This introductory text, aimed at undergraduate students, looks at the workings of the US Congress and uses the Republican period of ascendancy (1994-2000) as an example of how the Congress works in practice.

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America's Congress: Actions in the Public Sphere, James Madison Through Newt Gingrich In this work, political scientist David R. Mayhew examines actions performed by members of Congress throughout American history. He assesses their patterns and importance and their role in the American system of separation of powers.
The American Congress The American Congress provides the most insightful, up-to-date treatment of congressional politics available in an undergraduate text. Informed by the authors' Capitol Hill experience and nationally recognized scholarship, this book presents a crisp introduction to all major features of Congress: its party and committee systems, leadership, and voting and floor activity. The American Congress has the most in-depth discussion of the place of the president, the courts, and interest groups in congressional policy making available in a text. The authors blend an emphasis on recent developments in congressional politics with a clear discussion of the rules of the game, the history of key features of Congress, and stories from recent Congresses that bring politics to life.
Confirmation Bias: Inside Washington's War Over the Supreme Court, From Scalia's Death to Justice Kavanaugh The Chief Washington Correspondent for the New York Times presents a richly detailed, news-breaking, and conversation-changing look at the unprecedented political fight to fill the Supreme Court seat made vacant by Antonin Scalia's death--using it to explain the paralyzing and all but irreversible dysfunction across all three branches in the nation's capital. The embodiment of American conservative thought and jurisprudence, Antonin Scalia cast an expansive shadow over the Supreme Court for three decades. His unexpected death in February 2016 created a vacancy that precipitated a pitched political fight. That battle would not only change the tilt of the court, but the course of American history. It would help decide a presidential election, fundamentally alter longstanding protocols of the United States Senate, and transform the Supreme Court--which has long held itself as a neutral arbiter above politics--into another branch of the federal government riven by partisanship. In an unprecedented move, the Republican-controlled Senate, led by majority leader, Mitch McConnell, refused to give Democratic President Barack Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, a confirmation hearing. Not one Republican in the Senate would meet with him. Scalia's seat would be held open until Donald Trump's nominee, Neil M. Gorsuch, was confirmed in April 2017. Carl Hulse has spent more than thirty years covering the machinations of the beltway. In Confirmation Bias, he tells the story of this history-making battle to control the Supreme Court through exclusive interviews with McConnell, Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, and other top officials, Trump campaign operatives, court activists, and legal scholars, as well as never-before-reported details and developments. Richly textured and deeply informative, Confirmation Bias provides much-needed context, revisiting the judicial wars of the past two decades to show how those conflicts have led to our current polarization. He examines the politicization of the federal bench and the implications for public confidence in the courts, and takes us behind the scenes to explore how many long-held democratic norms and entrenched, bipartisan procedures have been erased across all three branches of government.
Congress for Dummies Congress For Dummies helps you sort out what Congress does on a daily basis and what it all means to you, the citizen. It shows you how to get organized, make your voice heard, and influence legislation that might affect you. Full of helpful resources such as contact information for House and Senate offices, and smart, straightforward explanations of the legislative process, this book is everything you need to understand Congress and get involved in your government. Whether you just want to know how government works, or you want to get involved to change your country, this simple guide covers all the ins and outs of Congress.
Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Ohio's Sherrod Brown has sat on the Senate floor at a mahogany desk with a proud history. In Desk 88, he tells the story of eight of the Senators who were there before him. Despite their flaws and frequent setbacks, each made a decisive contribution to the creation of a more just America. They range from Hugo Black, who helped to lift millions of American workers out of poverty, to Robert F. Kennedy, whose eyes were opened by an undernourished Mississippi child and who then spent the rest of his life afflicting the comfortable. Brown revives forgotten figures such as Idaho's Glen Taylor, a singing cowboy who taught himself economics and stood up to segregationists, and offers new insights into George McGovern, who fought to feed the poor around the world even amid personal and political calamities. Together, these eight portraits in political courage tell a story about the triumphs and failures of the Progressive idea over the past century. Today, these advances are in peril as employers shed their responsibilities to employees and communities, and a U.S. president gives cover to bigotry. But the Progressive idea is not dead. Recalling his own career, Brown dramatizes the hard work and high ideals required to renew the social contract and create a new era in which Americans of all backgrounds can know the "Dignity of Work."
The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government The little known story of perhaps the most productive Congress in US history, the First Federal Congress of 1789-1791. The First Congress was the most important in US history, says prizewinning author and historian Fergus Bordewich, because it established how our government would actually function. Had it failed--as many at the time feared it would--it's possible that the United States as we know it would not exist today. The Constitution was a broad set of principles. It was left to the members of the First Congress and President George Washington to create the machinery that would make the government work. Fortunately, James Madison, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and others less well known today, rose to the occasion. During two years of often fierce political struggle, they passed the first ten amendments to the Constitution; they resolved bitter regional rivalries to choose the site of the new national capital; they set in place the procedure for admitting new states to the union; and much more. But the First Congress also confronted some issues that remain to this day: the conflict between states' rights and the powers of national government; the proper balance between legislative and executive power; the respective roles of the federal and state judiciaries; and funding the central government. Other issues, such as slavery, would fester for decades before being resolved. The First Congress tells the dramatic story of the two remarkable years when Washington, Madison, and their dedicated colleagues struggled to successfully create our government, an achievement that has lasted to the present day.
The House: The History of the House of Representatives The first-ever narrative nonfiction history of the House of Representatives, by the National Book Award-winning historian. Robert Remini, one of the preeminent historians of our times, was chosen by the Library of Congress to write this official - and fascinating - history. Throughout America's history, the House has played a central role in shaping the nation's destiny. In our own time the impeachment hearings of President Clinton and the rise and fall of Newt Gingrich revealed, quite starkly, just how vital the House's constitutional powers remain. Violence, acrimony, triumph, and compromise litter the House's varied and illustrious past. Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, John Randolph, "Uncle Joe" Cannon, Sam Rayburn, and Tip O'Neill are just a few of the figures who have brought glory as well as ignominy to the House of Representatives. These leaders mastered the rules and folkways of the House and bent them to their own or the people's wills and needs.
How Congress Works In simple, clear language, the new edition of this classic work presents basic explanations of the procedures and rules that govern the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Highlighted sidebars further detail the impact of congressional action with interesting narrative examples from history, along with charts and tables that provide a complete overview of congressional procedures. This edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect the changes on Capitol Hill since 2008.
How Congress Works and Why You Should Care An inside look at the way Congress works and how it impacts the lives of all Americans, by an eminent former Congressman.