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Cover

The Legislative Branch

Edited by Paul J. Quirk and Sarah A. Binder

Publication Date - January 2006

ISBN: 9780195309164

624 pages
Paperback
6-1/8 x 9-1/4 inches

Leading scholars the legislative branch and evaluate its influence on democracy and the American constitutional system.

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?

Table of Contents

    DIRECTORY OF CONTRIBUTORS
    GENERAL INTRODUCTION: The Legislative Branch as an Institution of American Constitutional Democracy, Jaroslav Pelikan
    INTRODUCTION: Congress and American Democracy: Institutions and Performance, Paul J. Quirk and Sarah A. Binder
    SECTION I: IDEALS AND DEVELOPMENT
    1. Congress and the Constitutional System, Charles Stewart III
    2. Institutional Development of Congress, Eric Shickler
    3. Actions in the Public Square, David R. Mayhew
    SECTION II: ELECTIONS AND REPRESENTATION
    4. Modern Campaigns and Representation, Gary C. Jacobson
    5. Elections, Parties, and Governance, Sarah A. Binder
    6. Representing Racial and Ethnic Minorities, David T. Canon
    SECTION III: STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES
    7. Committees and Policy Formulation, David W. Rohde
    8. Parties and Leadership in the House, Barbara Sinclair
    9. Parties and Leadership in the Senate, Steven S. Smith
    SECTION IV: POLICY AND PERFORMANCE
    10. Interests, Constituencies, and Policy Making, Frances E. Lee
    11. Deliberation and Decision Making, Paul J. Quirk
    12. Foreign Affairs and War, Christopher J. Deering
    13. Budgets and Fiscal Policy, Eric Patashnik
    14. Advice and Consent: Cooperation and Conflict in the Appointment of Federal Judges, Forrest Maltzman
    15. Congress and the Bureaucracy, Charles R. Shipan
    SECTION V: ASSESSMENTS AND PROSPECTS
    16. Images of Congress, John R. Hibbing
    17. Politics of Congressional Reform, C. Lawrence Evans
    18. Congress and American Democracy: Assessing Institutional Performance, Paul J. Quirk and Sarah Binder
    APPENDIX
    INDEX

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