Title: Congress today /
Authors: Schneier, Edward V.; Gross, Bertram M., 1912-1997.; Gross, Bertram M., 1912-1997.
Publisher: St. Martin's Press,
Year: 1993
Subjects: United States.; Legislation United States.
Abstract: "Congress Today examines the legislative process and legislative outputs from three interrelated perspectives: the social and political setting of Congress; the structure and rules of Congress as an organization; and the interests, motives, and strategies of policy advocates." "Using a wide range of historical and contemporary examples of policy-making, the authors provide an in-depth examination of Congress and the politics of making national legislation. Rich in detail on the intrigues and manipulations that take place behind the scenes, the book examines legislative behavior in the larger context of how power is distributed in the United States."--Jacket.
Contents: pt. 2. The Congress as an Organization. 6. The City on the Hill. Life on the Hill. The Growth of the Legislative Bureaucracy. The Lobbying Community. The Role of the Press -- Conclusion: The View from the Hill. 7. Dividing Work and Authority. Legislatures and Bureaucracies. Specialization and the Congressional Division of Labor. Central Guidance Systems in the Congress -- Summary: Congress as an Organization. 8. The Role of the Rules. House Procedures and the Policy Process. Senate Rules and the Policy Process. The White House and the Other House -- Conclusion: The Long Road to Final Passage. 9. Norms and Power Systems. Norms of the Post-Reform Congress. Congressional Norms and Pathways to Power. The Road to Power -- Conclusion: Influence in the "New Congress" 10. The Chosen Leaders. The Struggle for Committee Power. Elected Leaders. Concurrence and Consensus: The Struggle for Leadership -- pt. 3. Combat on the Legislative Terrain. 11. Informing, Pressuring, and Persuading.