How Congress works and why you should care / Lee H. Hamilton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hamilton, Lee.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Congress.

United States.

Physical Description:

viii, 156 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Bloomington : Indiana University Press, [2004]

Contents:

1 The Role of Congress 1

Why Congress Exists 2

Core Principle: Sovereignty of the People 4

Core Principle: Balancing Powers in Government 6

Congress and the President 9

Why Federalism Works 11

Key Power: Passing the Basic Laws of the Land 13

Key Power: Controlling the Purse 16

Key Power: Shaping Foreign Policy 18

Congress and Individual Liberties 21

The Roots of Our Success 23

2 The Impact of Congress 26

Congress and the Fabric of Our Lives 27

Government's Greatest Endeavors 29

An Ordinary Day 30

Congress Does More Work than Meets the Eye 33

A Balanced View of Congress 35

Members of Congress Who Had an Impact 37

3 How Congress Works 42

A Complex Institution 43

An Evolving Institution 45

The Many Roles of a Member of Congress 48

Representing Constituents 52

How a Bill Really Becomes Law 55

Why We Need More Politicians 59

Power in Congress 63

The House and the Senate 65

The Awesome Responsibility of Voting 68

The Frustrations and Rewards of Congress 72

4 Public Criticisms of Congress 75

"Legislators Are a Bunch of Crooks" 76

"There's Too Much Wasteful, Pork-Barrel Spending by Congress" 78

"Legislators Just Bicker and Never Get Anything Done" 80

"You Can't Trust What Members of Congress Say" 82

"Congress Almost Seems Designed to Promote Total Gridlock" 85

"Members of Congress Compromise Too Much" 86

"There's Too Much Money in Politics Today" 89

"Members Are Out of Touch with Their Constituents" 90

"1Congress Is Run by Lobbyists and Special Interests" 93

5 Key Ways Congress Could Work Better 97

Declining Civility 98

The Importance of Good Process 100

Better White House/Congress Consultation 103

True Congressional Oversight 106

Improving Ethics Enforcement 108

Thinking about the Future 111

The Money Chase 114

Improving Public Understanding of Congress 117

Tackling the Tough Issues 118

Congress and the Common Good 120

6 Civic Participation 124

A Failure to Communicate 125

Being More Involved in the Work of Congress 128

The Cornerstones of Active Citizenship 132

Making Your Views Known to Congress 134

Individuals Who Have Made a Difference 138

Can the People Govern? 141

Strengthening Representative Democracy 144

Appendix Communicating with Congress 149.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [151]-152) and index.

ISBN:

0253344255

0253216958

OCLC:

52895370