Legislative labyrinth : Congress and campaign finance reform / Diana Dwyre, Victoria A. Farrar-Myers.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dwyre, Diana.

Contributor:

Farrar-Myers, Victoria A.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Campaign funds--United States.

Campaign funds.

United States.

United States. Congress.

Physical Description:

xii, 291 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : CQ Press, [2001]

Summary:

This engaging and accessible case study--of interest to those studying Congress, the policymaking process, or campaign finance reform--analyzes the contemporary policy making process through the lens of the recent effort to enact campaign finance reform. Written by two scholars who worked in key congressional offices as APSA fellows, Legislative Labyrinth offers an insider's perspective and fascinating insights that most other books on policy making do not. The book explores the many components of the legislative process: the use of unconventional legislative procedures; the role of policy entrepreneurs and issue leaders; the importance of political parties; and the impact that outside forces (such as the president, interest groups, and the media) have on Congress's internal workings. The book also considers the policy questions raised by campaign finance reform and why this issue generates such intense debate within Congress. Arranged by topic, the book complements textbook coverage and gives students a thoroughly rich view of the process.

Contents:

1 Campaign Finance Reform: A Catalyst for Policy Innovation 1

Campaign Finance Reform and the Legislative Labyrinth 2

Campaign Finance Reform in Historical Context 3

A Tale of Unorthodox Policymaking 28

Plan of the Book 32

2 Entering the Labyrinth: Considering Campaign Finance Reform in the Senate and Debating the Constitution 35

An Impetus for Reform? Congress Addresses the 1996 Scandals 37

Debating Reform in the Senate 39

Calling on the Constitution and the Courts 49

Reform Dies in the Senate

Again 59

Conclusion: At a Crossroads in the Labyrinth 60

3 Campaign Finance Reform in the House: An Issue Whose Time Had Come? 63

In the Other Chamber: Addressing the 1996 Scandals 64

The First Standoff in the House: Unorthodox Methods Prevail 66

The Freshman Bill 69

Promises, Promises 73

Scramble for Control: Campaign Finance Reformers Fight Back 82

The Republican Leadership's "Death by Amendment" Strategy 86

In Spite of It All, the Bill Passes the House 94

Conclusion: Successfully Negotiating the Labyrinth 100

4 Strategic Considerations: Issue Leaders, Policy Entrepreneurs, and Issue Networks 115

Issue Leaders and Policy Entrepreneurs 116

The Issue Leaders, Policy Entrepreneurs, and Issue Networks of the Campaign Finance Reform Debate 120

The Shays-Meehan Issue Network 123

Other Issue Leaders and Why They Failed 135

Conclusion: The Guides through the Labyrinth 137

5 A High-Stakes Partisan Battle: The Role of Political Parties in the Campaign Finance Reform Debate 141

Setting the Stage 142

Parties and Partisanship in Congress 144

Partisanship, Bipartisanship, and Crosspartisanship 148

The Republicans and Campaign Finance Reform 151

The Democrats and Campaign Finance Reform 157

The President's Role 162

Conclusion: The Place of Parties in the Labyrinth 164

6 The External Issue Network: Interest Groups and the Media 167

Interest Groups and Congress 168

The Role of the Media 187

Conclusion: Help from Outside the Labyrinth 198

7 The 106th Congress: History Repeating Itself 201

This Time the House Goes First 202

On to the Senate 213

Incremental Reform: A Small Hope for Comprehensive Reform or an Election Year Strategy? 222

Conclusion: The Never-Ending Labyrinth? 225

8 Lessons from the Labyrinth 227

Institutional Forces 228

Understanding Congressional Leadership 235

Party Developments 237

From Iron Triangles to Issue Networks 238

The Triumph of Unorthodox Lawmaking 239

Campaign Finance Reform Policy 242

The Future of Campaign Finance Reform 244.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-271) and index.

ISBN:

1568025688

OCLC:

45052640