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The American Congress

The American Congress

The American Congress

9th Edition
Steven S. Smith, Washington University, St Louis
Jason M. Roberts, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Ryan J. Vander Wielen, Temple University, Philadelphia
July 2015
Available
Paperback
9781107571785
$73.00
USD
Paperback
USD
eBook

    The ninth edition of this respected textbook provides a fresh perspective and a crisp introduction to congressional politics. Informed by the authors' Capitol Hill experience and scholarship, the new edition reflects changes resulting from the November 2014 elections and such developments as (a) a new majority party in the Senate, (b) new campaign spending numbers and election outcomes, rules, committees, leaders, and budget developments, and (c) recent political science literature that provides new perspectives on the institution. The text emphasizes the importance of a strong legislature and has discussion questions and further reading. Alongside clear explanations of congressional rules and the law-making process, there are examples from contemporary events and debates that highlight Congress as a group of politicians as well as a law-making body. These recent developments are presented within the context of congressional political history.

    • The authors bring Capitol Hill experience and scholarship to provide insights on recent events, including the two Congresses of Barack Obama's presidency, health care reform, and the 2012 midterm elections, as well as an early take on the 114th Congress
    • New learning features include end-of-chapter discussion questions and further reading
    • This edition is more visual - timelines and flow-charts have been added and the number of photos has doubled
    • Combined with an online testbank, this is a complete learning package that allows undergraduates to understand the importance of strong legislature in American democracy

    Product details

    July 2015
    Paperback
    9781107571785
    444 pages
    229 × 153 × 24 mm
    0.6kg
    86 b/w illus. 19 tables
    Available

    Table of Contents

    • 1. The troubled Congress
    • 2. Representation and lawmaking in Congress: the constitutional and historical context
    • 3. Congressional elections
    • 4. Members, goals, resources, and strategies
    • 5. Parties and leaders
    • 6. The standing committees
    • 7. The rules of the legislative game
    • 8. The floor and voting
    • 9. Congress and the president
    • 10. Congress and the courts
    • 11. Congress, lobbyists, and interest groups
    • 12. Congress and budget politics.
    Resources for
    Type
    TAC Figures
    Size: 1.34 MB
    Type: application/pdf
    Sign inThis resource is locked and access is given only to lecturers adopting the textbook for their class. We need to enforce this strictly so that solutions are not made available to students. To gain access to locked resources you either need first to sign in or register for an account.
      Authors
    • Steven S. Smith , Washington University, St Louis

      Steven S. Smith is a Professor of Political Science, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science, and Director of the Murray Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy at Washington University, St Louis. He has chaired the Legislative Studies Section of the American Political Science Association and has served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Political Science, The Journal of Politics, and Legislative Studies Quarterly.

    • Jason M. Roberts , University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

      Jason M. Roberts is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He co-edited the book Why Not Parties? Party Effects in the US Senate (2009). His articles have been published in the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, and Legislative Studies Quarterly.

    • Ryan J. Vander Wielen , Temple University, Philadelphia

      Ryan J. Vander Wielen is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Temple University, Philadelphia. His articles have appeared in Political Analysis, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and Public Choice.