The Postreform Congress

"The Postreform Congress" comprises 15 original essays that address different aspects of contemporary legislative politics in America. Written specifically for a student audience, the essays are contributed by policy analysts, presidential and parties scholars, formal theorists and voting analysts. The essays discuss a variety of institutional and policy areas and they illustrate a wide range of methodologies and viewpoints as well. They are, however, unified by a common theme: they all reflect the fact that Congress has changed dramatically since the reform upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s - that, as a result of adapting to the "cut-back politics" of the past decade, Congress now displays heightened partisanship, tighter processing of legislation and stronger leadership. The author is co-author - with Walter J. Oleszek - of "Congress and its Members, Third Edition" and - with Samuel Patterson and Randall Ripley of "A More Perfect Union: An Introduction to American Governments, Fourth Edition", co-editor of "The Encyclopedia of the United States Congress" and author of "The Role of the Congressman".