Textbooks for the Study of Congress

Over the last few weeks I have posted about some of the excellent volumes containing scholarly work on the US Congress. They are great for developing specialised knowledge about particular aspects of Congress. But what about introductions for those starting an undergraduate course - or seeking to increase their general understanding of Congress?

Over the years I've been introduced to a number of textbooks, which are frequently brought out in new editions. I've put links to the latest editions that i could find - though of course over the summer new editions could appear. My personal favourites are -

Congress and Its Members by Roger H Davidson; Walter J Oleszek and Francis E Lee. The 13th edition is due out on 19th September, but can be pre-ordered using the link below. It is always well written - by individuals who are real experts in their subject. Walter Oleszek works for the Congressional Research Service and is a mine of information. Roger Davidson has worked in Congress as well as having had a very distinguished academic career. Francis E Lee is a younger scholar, who has already been recognised for the quality for her work - winning a series of awards for her writings. She edited, with Eric Schickler, The Oxford Handbook of the American Congress



Congress Reconsidered, edited by Lawrence C Dodd and Bruce I Oppenheimer, is also a high quality book. It is now in its 9th Edition. Oppenheimer commented in his article in The Oxford Handbook of the American Congress, "when Larry Dodd and I collaborated on the initial volume of Congress Reconsidered, we did not anticipate that there would be a need for subsequent editions or, if there were subsequent editions, that they would entail a greater number of new than of revised articles". But then recent years have seen many changes in Congress and much scholarly activity. This textbook highlights - in each edition - the key changes (and explores why they have happened.




Barbara Sinclair's book "Unorthodox Lawmaking" highlights how law is actually made, as opposed to the theoretical pattern described in the "traditional how-a-bill-becomes-a-law diagram". The fourth edition is due out at the end of July in the US, and in early September in the UK. I'll be getting a copy (I have the previous editions - but together they will provide a series of snapshots - of particular value to someone interested in the historical development of Congress and its practices). I have found Barbara Sinclair's work particularly interesting and readable.

How Our Law Are Made

This booklet is indispensible reading for anyone wanting to understand the legislative process in Congress. I would however suggest that you also read "Unorthodox Lawmaking" by Barbara Sinclair and Walter J Oleszek's "Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process".

The House of Representatives Committee on Rules Legislative Process Program says -

“This brochure is intended to provide a basic outline of the numerous steps of our federal lawmaking process from the source of an idea for a legislative proposal through its publication as a statute. The legislative process is a matter about which every person should be well informed in order to understand and appreciate the work of Congress. It is hoped that this guide will enable readers to gain a greater understanding of the federal legislative process and its role as one of the foundations of our representative system. One of the most practical safeguards of the American democratic way of life is this legislative process with its emphasis on the protection of the minority, allowing ample opportunity to all sides to be heard and make their views known. The fact that a proposal cannot become a law without consideration and approval by both Houses of Congress is an outstanding virtue of our bicameral legislative system. The open and full discussion provided under the Constitution often results in the notable improvement of a bill by amendment before it becomes law or in the eventual defeat of an inadvisable proposal.

Link to the Table of Contents for “How Our Laws Are Made”:
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/lawsmade.toc.html

Link to the entire document “How Our Laws Are Made”:
http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/howourlawsaremade.pdf