Congressional Record
Author: United States. Congress
Publisher:
Published: 1968
Total Pages: 1324
ISBN-13:
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Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report
Author:
Publisher:
Published: 1992-07
Total Pages: 1352
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKA Chill in the House
Author: Lewis G. Irwin
Publisher: SUNY Press
Published: 2002-01-01
Total Pages: 274
ISBN-13: 9780791451748
DOWNLOAD EBOOKExamines the growth of obstacles to legislative success since the 1960s in the U.S. House of Representatives.
African Americans and the Politics of Congressional Redistricting
Author: Dewey M. Clayton
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2004-11-23
Total Pages: 216
ISBN-13: 1135578435
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis book provides a detailed analysis of the politics of racial redistricting, a topic of particular concern in light of recent federal court cases. The book is divided into two parts. Part one examines the historical exclusion of blacks from the American political process and the politics behind congressional redistricting. The text focuses on partisan manoeuvering and assesses whose interests were being served. In particular, the book chronicles the legislative action (creation of majority black districts) in North Carolina and around the South. Part two shifts the focus to the myriad of legal battles that ensued as a result of the newly-created districts in North Carolina and around the South. Majority black districts have been dismantled in the Supreme Court. This has been due to the criticism of their "arbitrary" shape, and the notion that race was considered a predominant fact or in their design. Yet, irregularly-shaped majority white districts have not been accused of violating districting principles. This book purports that blacks were not elected to national office in large numbers prior to the creation of majority black districts, indicating the continuing need for race-conscious districting as a temporary solution to a complex problem.
Congress
Author: Stephen E. Frantzich
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Published: 2010
Total Pages: 456
ISBN-13: 9780742599758
DOWNLOAD EBOOKCongress: Games and Strategies, fourth edition, is an up-to-date look at the 21st century Congress from the perspective of a professional political scientist and congressional staff member turned academic. As such, it provides both academic and real-world insights into the unique and often impenetrable world of our national legislature. Using the most recent academic literature as well as quotes from current members of Congress, it seeks to explore the overlap between theory and reality. The book uses a game analogy as an organizing theme and as a toolbox, recognizing that much of Congress' activity is understood by analyzing the players, the rules under which they work, the strategies they employ and the pattern of winning and losing that result. Updated through the 2008 election, the book includes a host of features intended to enhance comprehension, including boxes that allow students to hear what congressmen and congresswomen themselves say about the institution.
Fenced Off
Author: Juliet F. Gainsborough
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Published: 2001-03-02
Total Pages: 204
ISBN-13: 9781589018112
DOWNLOAD EBOOKSince the 1980s a distinctive suburban politics has emerged in the United States, Juliet F. Gainsborough argues in Fenced Off . As suburbs have become less economically and socially dependent on the central cities, suburban and urban dwellers have diverged not only in their voting patterns but also in their thinking about national politics. While political reporters have long noted this difference, few quantitative studies have been conducted on suburbanization alone—above and beyond race or class—as a political trend. Using census and public opinion statistics, along with data on congressional districts and party platforms, Gainsborough demonstrates that this "ideology of localism" weakens when suburbs experience city-like problems and strengthens when racial and economic differences with the nearby city increase. In addition, Gainsborough uses national survey data from the 1950s to the 1990s to show that a separate suburban politics has arisen only during the last two decades. Further, she argues, the political differences between urban and suburban voters have found expression in changes in congressional representation and new electoral strategies for the major political parties. As Congressional districts become increasingly suburban, "soccer moms" and liveability agendas come to dominate party platforms, and the needs of the urban poor disappear from political debate. Fenced Off uses the tools of political science to prove what political commentators have sensed—that the suburbs offer a powerful voting bloc that is being courted with sophisticated new strategies.
The Presidential Pulse of Congressional Elections
Author: James E. Campbell
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Published: 2014-07-11
Total Pages: 333
ISBN-13: 0813149037
DOWNLOAD EBOOKAn intriguing phenomenon in American electoral politics is the loss of seats by the president's party in midterm congressional elections. Between 1862 and 1990, the president's party lost seats in the House of Representatives in 32 of the 33 midterm elections. In his new study, James Campbell examines explanations for these midterm losses and explores how presidential elections influence congressional elections. After reviewing the two major theories of midterm electoral change-the "surge and decline" theory and the theory of midterms as referenda on presidential performance Campbell draws upon each to propose and test a new theory. He asserts that in the years of presidential elections congressmen ride presidential coattails into office, while in midterm elections such candidates are stranded. An additional factor is the strength of the presidential vote, which influences the number of seats that are won, only to be lost later. Finally, Campbell examines how the presidential pulse may affect electoral accountability, the relationship between Congress and the president, and the relative strength of Congress, the president, and political parties. He explores the implications of the presidential pulse for understanding electoral change, evaluating the American voter's competence, and assessing the importance of split-ticket voting. Including both election returns and survey data, The Presidential Pulse of Congressional Elections offers a fresh perspective on congressional elections, voting behavior, Congress, and the presidency.
Parties, Polarization and Democracy in the United States
Author: Donald C. Baumer
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2015-11-17
Total Pages: 297
ISBN-13: 1317254783
DOWNLOAD EBOOKAs evidenced in the 2008 elections and the transition to a new era of Democratic governance, one of the most important developments in American politics in recent years has been the resurgence of political parties. Democrats and Republicans represent different world views and policies, citizens recognise these differences, and many of them use party labels to make sense of the political world. Parties, Polarisation and Democracy in the United States describes and analyses the place of political parties in American politics today - both among elites and citizens at large. Many scholars and pundits denounce political polarisation; they view it as a symptom of a broken political system that provides unappealing choices for voters and that is frequently mired in deadlock. Baumer and Gold make a different argument - that party polarisation offers the kind of choice and accountability to voters that was not always present in earlier periods of American political history.
Bushmanders and Bullwinkles
Author: Mark Monmonier
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 2001-04-15
Total Pages: 236
ISBN-13: 9780226534244
DOWNLOAD EBOOKFor years Mark Monmonier, "a prose stylist of no mean ability or charm" according to the Washington Post, has delighted readers with his insightful understanding of cartography as an art and technology that is both deceptive and revealing. Now he turns his focus to the story of political cartography and the redrawing of congressional districts. His title Bushmanders and Bullwinkles combines gerrymander with the surname of the president who actively tolerated racial gerrymandering and draws attention to the ridiculously shaped congressional districts that evoke the antlers of the moose who shared the cartoon spotlight with Rocky the Flying Squirrel. Written from the perspective of a cartographer rather than a political scientist, Bushmanders and Bullwinkles examines the political tales maps tell when votes and power are at stake. Monmonier shows how redistricting committees carve out favorable election districts for themselves and their allies; how disgruntled politicians use shape to challenge alleged racial gerrymanders; and how geographic information systems can make reapportionment a controversial process with outrageous products. He also explores controversies over the proper roles of natural boundaries, media maps, census enumeration, and ethnic identity. Raising important questions about Supreme Court decisions in regulating redistricting, Monmonier asks if the focus on form rather than function may be little more than a distraction from larger issues like election reform. Characterized by the same wit and clarity as Monmonier's previous books, Bushmanders and Bullwinkles is essential background for understanding what might prove the most contentious political debate of the new decade.
Vital Statistics on Congress
Author: Norman J. Ornstein
Publisher: American Enterprise Institute
Published: 2002
Total Pages: 262
ISBN-13: 9780844741680
DOWNLOAD EBOOKVital Statistics on Congress is the definitive source of essential information for all who watch Congress.
