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: 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...
Pressure Politics: How Big Business Promotes Its Agenda
The financial resources of big business allow them to organize mass numbers of people, hire experienced lobbyists and researchers, and support congressmen friendly to their causes. Consequently, the overall success of their efforts is often greater ...
The Fourth Estate: License to Blame
Public officials and public bodies like Congress are criticized by the press. As Barbara Sinclair points out, "You want a skeptical media, but too often the media goes across the line and interprets everything that's done in Washington through the l...
The First Branch: United States Senate, The
The Senate operates differently than the House of Representatives although party leadership is still a factor. In the Senate sponsors on both sides of the political aisle are usually necessary in order to get anything done. Sixty votes are needed to...
The First Branch: House of Representatives--A Majority-Rule Chamber, The
The House of Representatives is a majority rule chamber. With a reasonably cohesive majority, the leadership can control the agenda and everything that happens. Many observers of the Washington scene rate the Speaker of the House second only in powe...
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...
The Nation's Welfare: Welfare Reform
Congress responded to public pressure to reduce federal involvement in welfare programs by passing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act just prior to the 1996 election. This legislation replaced AFDC with a more limited program known...
The Fourth Estate: Conflictual Nature of Politics Linked to Press, The
Is the competitive nature of the press changing the way public affairs are conducted or just the way we look at government? Politics has become more strident and rancorous, a dynamic many blame on the media. Too often politicians argue from a confli...
Government by Committee: Journey of a Bill
An average of 10,000 bills are introduced and referred to committee over the course of a two-year legislative term. Bills that do not easily fit within the scope of a single committee are referred to several committees or bypass this step altogether...