Government by Committee: Organizing for Congressional Business
Congress has twin organizational bases: committees where most of the substantive work on legislation occurs and the leadership provided by the party. Initially Congress tried to operate as a "committee of the whole" but the gridlock that resulted mo...
Government by Committee: Congress, Traditional Yet Changing
Many aspects of Congress are the same today as they were 100 years ago: the dominance of congressional committees, the importance of seniority, controlled access to the floor by the House Rules Committee, the threat of filibuster in the Senate. But ...
Government by Committee: Reconciling Differences Between House and Senate Versions of a Bill
Once a bill has passed both the House and Senate, it becomes necessary to reconcile the differences between the two versions of bills. There is no requirement to hold a conference; in fact that is one of the ways the party in power may be able to ki...
Government by Committee: Forming Coalitions
Getting enough votes to pass legislation is challenging, particularly when the partisan margins in the two chambers are Members of Congress need to know how to craft coalitions to either pass or block legislation. They also learn to trade votes, sup...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Competition between Levels of Government
While the responsibilities of government have increased overall, states have retained most of their traditional authority. The fact that city and state politics generally has more to do with individual lives than the national government confirms for...
The First Branch: Motivation to Run for Public Office
What motivates a person to run for public office? Three people who have served in the House of Representatives--Mickey Edwards, Jim McDermott, and Loretta Sanchez--talk about the factors that caused them to compete for a Congressional seat. Fifty ye...
The First Branch: How Does It Feel to Be a New Member of Congress?
Mickey Edwards, Jim McDermott, and Loretta Sanchez tell what it is like to walk into the House chambers for the first time as a newly elected members of Congress. Congress, like most national legislatures, has been dominated by men and moneyed inter...
The First Branch: Challenges of Freshmen Congressmen
The challenges of the first few months in Congress can be daunting. It helps to have a mentor who can explain the hierarchy and the bewildering array of procedures and protocol. It is also important to fill staff positions with people who are experi...