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| Genre/Form: | History |
|---|---|
| Additional Physical Format: | Online version: Hamilton, Lee. How Congress works and why you should care. Bloomington : Indiana University Press, ©2004 (OCoLC)607137723 |
| Material Type: | Internet resource |
| Document Type: | Book, Internet Resource |
| All Authors / Contributors: |
Lee Hamilton |
| ISBN: | 0253344255 9780253344250 0253216958 9780253216953 |
| OCLC Number: | 52895370 |
| Description: | viii, 156 pages ; 25 cm |
| Contents: | Preface -- [Pt.] 1. The role of Congress. Why Congress exists ; Core principle: sovereignty of the people ; Core principle: balancing powers in government ; Congress and the President ; Why federalism works ; Key power: passing the basic laws of the land ; Key power: controlling the purse ; Key power: shaping foreign policy ; Congress and individual liberties ; The roots of our success -- [Pt.] 2. The impact of Congress. Congress and the fabric of our lives ; Government's greatest endeavors ; An ordinary day ; Congress does more work than meets the eye ; A balanced view of Congress ; Members of Congress who had an impact -- [Pt.] 3. How Congress works. A complex institution ; An evolving institution ; The many roles of a member of Congress ; Representing constituents ; How a bill really becomes law ; Why we need more politicians ; Power in Congress ; The House and the Senate ; The awesome responsibility of voting ; The frustrations and rewards of Congress -- [Pt.] 4. Public criticisms of Congress. "Legislators are a bunch of crooks" ; "There's too much wasteful, pork-barrel spending by Congress" ; "Legislators just bicker and never get anything done" ; "You can't trust what members of Congress say" ; "Congress almost seems designed to promote total gridlock" ; "Members of Congress compromise too much" ; "There's too much money in politics today" ; "Members are out of touch with their constituents" ; "Congress is run by lobbyists and special interests" ; Conclusion -- [Pt.] 5. Key ways Congress could work better. Declining civility ; The importance of good process ; Better White House/Congress consultation ; True congressional oversight ; Improving ethics enforcement ; Thinking about the future ; The money chase ; Improving public understanding of Congress ; Tackling the tough issues ; Congress and the common good ; Conclusion -- [Pt.] 6. Civic participation. A failure to communicate ; Being more involved in the work of Congress ; The cornerstones of active citizenship ; Making your views known to Congress ; Individuals who have made a difference ; Can the people govern? ; Strengthening representative democracy -- Appendix: communicating with Congress. |
| Responsibility: | Lee H. Hamilton. |
| More information: |
Abstract:
Reviews
Publisher Synopsis
"Lee Hamilton's new book... should be required reading for any American contemplating writing a 'Letter to the Editor' or calling into (or hosting) a radio talk show, or for that matter, stepping into a voting booth. It is an owner's manual for citizens interested in their Congress." -Charlie Cook, Editor and Publisher, The Cook Political Report "A passionate and eloquent defense of the essential role Congress plays in the American constitutional system and a reasoned call for citizens to engage more actively in their representative democracy. Like Hamilton himself, this volume is scrupulously honest, fair-minded, and accessible to a wide audience." -Thomas Mann, W. Averell Harriman Senior Fellow in American Governance, The Brookings Institution "Lee Hamilton's book not only describes the Madisonian vision of what Congress is supposed to be and assesses how it measures up to that vision today, it also serves the same function of educating and edifying the American public that the Federalist papers did... Every student of Congress, and every American, can benefit from this book." -Norman J. Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute "Americans cannot be faulted for having a deeply jaundiced view of their Congress, says Hamilton (Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars); he ought to know, because he served as a Representative for Indiana from 1965 to 1999. But he argues that people can and should fix it rather than give up on it completely." -SciTech Book News, February 2010 Read more...
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Related Subjects:(7)
- United States. -- Congress.
- United States. -- Congress -- History.
- United States -- Politics and government.
- États-Unis. -- Congress.
- Politics and government
- United States.
- États-unis. -- Congress.
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