The Imprint of Congress

The Imprint of Congress PDF Author: David R. Mayhew
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300215703
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
An insightful examination of the imprint of Congress on politics and society throughout American history by a distinguished congressional scholar

The Imprint of Congress

The Imprint of Congress PDF Author: David R. Mayhew
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300215703
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
An insightful examination of the imprint of Congress on politics and society throughout American history by a distinguished congressional scholar

America's Congress

America's Congress PDF Author: David R. Mayhew
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300130023
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
To understand American politics and government, we need to recognize not only that members of Congress are agents of societal interests and preferences but also that they act with a certain degree of autonomy and consequence in the country’s public sphere. In this illuminating book, a distinguished political scientist examines actions performed by members of Congress throughout American history, assessing their patterns and importance and their role in the American system of separation of powers. David R. Mayhew examines standard history books on the United States and identifies more than two thousand actions by individual members of the House and Senate that are significant enough to be mentioned. Mayhew offers insights into a wide range of matters, from the nature of congressional opposition to presidents and the surprising frequency of foreign policy actions to the timing of notable activity within congressional careers (and the way that congressional term limits might affect these performances). His book sheds new light on the contributions to U.S. history made by members of Congress.

Partisan Balance

Partisan Balance PDF Author: David R. Mayhew
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691157987
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
How partisan balance between the U.S. presidency and Congress is essential to successful government With three independent branches, a legislature divided into two houses, and many diverse constituencies, it is remarkable that the federal government does not collapse in permanent deadlock. Yet, this system of government has functioned for well over two centuries, even through such heated partisan conflicts as the national health-care showdown and Supreme Court nominations. In Partisan Balance, noted political scholar David Mayhew examines the unique electoral foundations of the presidency, Senate, and House of Representatives in order to provide a fresh understanding for the government's success and longstanding vitality. Focusing on the period after World War II, and the fate of legislative proposals offered by presidents from Harry Truman to George W. Bush, Mayhew reveals that the presidency, Senate, and House rest on surprisingly similar electoral bases, with little difference in their partisan textures as indexed by the presidential popular vote cast in the various constituencies. Both congressional chambers have tilted a bit Republican, and while White House legislative initiatives have fared accordingly, Mayhew shows that presidents have done relatively well in getting their major proposals enacted. Over the long haul, the Senate has not proven much more of a stumbling block than the House. Arguing that the system has developed a self-correcting impulse that leads each branch to pull back when it deviates too much from other branches, Mayhew contends that majoritarianism largely characterizes the American system. The wishes of the majority tend to nudge institutions back toward the median voter, as in the instances of legislative districting, House procedural reforms, and term limits for presidents and legislators.

Congress

Congress PDF Author: Benjamin Ginsberg
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300249616
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 377

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Book Description
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.

The Congress

The Congress PDF Author: Robin Nelson
Publisher: Lerner Publications
ISBN: 0761365184
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
Discusses the origin of the legislative branch, its purpose, and how a bill becomes a law.

Congress and the First Civil Rights Era, 1861-1918

Congress and the First Civil Rights Era, 1861-1918 PDF Author: Jeffery A. Jenkins
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022675636X
Category : HISTORY
Languages : en
Pages : 343

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Book Description
The Civil War Years, 1861-1865 -- The Early Reconstruction Era, 1865-1871 -- The Demise of Reconstruction, 1871-1877 -- The Redemption Era, 1877-1891 -- The Wilderness Years, 1891-1918.

The Senate

The Senate PDF Author: Daniel Wirls
Publisher: University of Virginia Press
ISBN: 0813946913
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 317

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Book Description
In this lively analysis, Daniel Wirls examines the Senate in relation to our other institutions of government and the constitutional system as a whole, exposing the role of the "world’s greatest deliberative body" in undermining effective government and maintaining white supremacy in America. As Wirls argues, from the founding era onward, the Senate constructed for itself an exceptional role in the American system of government that has no firm basis in the Constitution. This self-proclaimed exceptional status is part and parcel of the Senate’s problematic role in the governmental process over the past two centuries, a role shaped primarily by the combination of equal representation among states and the filibuster, which set up the Senate’s clash with modern democracy and effective government and has contributed to the contemporary underrepresentation of minority members. As he explains, the Senate’s architecture, self-conception, and resulting behavior distort rather than complement democratic governance and explain the current gridlock in Washington, D.C. If constitutional changes to our institutions are necessary for better governance, then how should the Senate be altered to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem? This book provides one answer.

Colour, Class and Community - The Natal Indian Congress, 1971-1994

Colour, Class and Community - The Natal Indian Congress, 1971-1994 PDF Author: Ashwin Desai
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 1776147189
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 253

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Book Description
Positions the history and inner workings of the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) against the canvas of the major political developments in South Africa during the 1970s and 1980s up to the first democratic elections in 1994 Following a hiatus in the 1960s, the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) in South Africa was revived in 1971. In fascinating detail, Ashwin Desai and Goolam Vahed bring the inner workings of the NIC to life against the canvas of major political developments in South Africa during the 1970s and 1980s, and up to the first democratic elections in 1994. The NIC was relaunched during the rise of the Black Consciousness Movement, which attracted a following among Indian university students, and whose invocation of Indians as Black led to a major debate about ethnic organisations such as the NIC. This debate persisted in the 1980s with the rise of the United Democratic Front and its commitment to non-racialism. The NIC was central to other major debates of the period, most significantly the lines drawn between boycotting and participating in government-created structures such as the Tri-Cameral Parliament. Despite threats of banning and incarceration, the NIC kept attracting recruits who encouraged the development of community organisations, such as students radicalised by the 1980s education boycotts and civic protests. Colour, Class and Community, The Natal Indian Congress, 1971—1994 details how some members of the NIC played dual roles, as members of a legal organisation and as allies of the African National Congress’ underground armed struggle. Drawing on varied sources, including oral interviews, newspaper reports, and minutes of organisational meetings, this in-depth study tells a largely untold history, challenging existing narratives around Indian ‘cabalism’, and bringing the African and Indian political story into present debates about race, class and nation.

Americans, Congress, and Democratic Responsiveness

Americans, Congress, and Democratic Responsiveness PDF Author: David R Jones
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 047203409X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
The public's satisfaction with Congress determines policy shifts as well as turnovers at election time

Electoral Incentives in Congress

Electoral Incentives in Congress PDF Author: Jamie L. Carson
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 047213079X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
Legislators in the 19th century behaved much as we expect legislators to behave today.