Congress in Context - Paperback

by John Haskell (Author), Sara Grove (Author), Marian Currinder (Author)

The U.S. Congress is by the far the least popular (and most misunderstood) branch of the federal government. Congress in Context de-mystifies the institution, giving students a comprehensive and practical understanding of Congress and the legislative process. This book takes a different approach to the study of Congress than other texts. Usually Congress is treated in isolation from the rest of the government. But the Framers of the Constitution explicitly intended for the branches of government to be interdependent. Congress in Context introduces readers to Congress's critical role in the context of this interdependent system. Using the metaphor of a board of directors, the authors explain the three key roles of Congress within the federal government (authorizing what government does, funding its activities, and supervising how it carries out the laws Congress passes) and shows students how Congress interacts with the rest of the government to exercise these powers.

The thoroughly expanded and revised second edition features brand-new chapters on Congress and the courts and Congress and interest groups. It also includes expanded coverage of Congress's relationship with the executive branch, campaign finance, and today's major budget issues. Grounded in the latest political science literature coupled with contemporary examples, Congress in Context offers students an informed yet accessible introduction to how the legislative branch carries out its duties.

Back Jacket

Thorough, well-written, and provides a unique insider s account of Congress s relationship with the broader political system. The authors combine classic congressional scholarship with contemporary policy issues to explain the nuts and bolts of how Congress functions as a policymaker within a complex system of shared powers.
Alison Howard, Dominican University of California
"The framework of 'Congress as a board of directors' is uniqueit gets at what the institution does in an interesting and accessible way.
David Dulio, Oakland University
Realistic without being cynical, serious without being grave. Readers of this book will come away with a richer understanding of the powers and limitations of Congress."
John J. Pitney Jr., Claremont McKenna College
Grounded in the latest political science literature coupled with contemporary examples, "Congress in Context" de-mystifies the institution and offers students an informed yet accessible introduction to how the legislative branch carries out its duties. Using the metaphor of a board of directors, the authors explain the three key roles of Congress within the federal governmentauthorizing what government does, funding its activities, and supervising how It carries out the laws Congress passes. The thoroughly expanded and revised second edition features brand-new chapters on Congress and the courts and Congress and interest groups. It also included expanded coverage of Congress s relationship with the executive branch, campaign finance, and today s major budget issues.
JOHN HASKELL is Assistant Director and Senior Specialist, Government and Finance Division, with the Congressional Research Service. Haskell was Senior Fellow with the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University from 2000 to 2013.
MARIAN CURRINDER is Senior Fellow with the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University.
SARA A. GROVE is professor in the Department of Political Science at Shippensburg University."

Author Biography

John Haskell is Assistant Director and Senior Specialist, Government and Finance Division with the Congressional Research Service. Haskell was Senior Fellow with the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University from 2000 to 2013 and has taught at Davidson College, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Drake University, and Claremont McKenna College's Washington Program. He is the author of Fundamentally Flawed, a critique of the presidential nomination process, and Direct Democracy or Representative Government?. He was a Congressional Fellow in 1997-98, during which time he was the Budget Committee liaison for Congressman David Price. He also handled education and tax issues for the Congressman. Haskell received his Ph.D. in American politics from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Marian Currinder is a Senior Fellow with the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University. Before joining GAI in 2006, she was an Assistant Professor of American Politics at the College of Charleston. Marian was an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in 2003-04. She worked in DC as a legislative analyst and research associate before earning her M.A. and Ph.D. in American Government from the University of Florida. She has published several journal articles and book chapters on congressional politics and campaign finance, and is the author of Money in the House: Campaign Funds and Congressional Party Politics.

Sara A. Grove is professor in the Department of Political Science at Shippensburg University. Prior to her arrival at Shippensburg in 1992, Dr. Grove taught at Frostburg State University, North Carolina State University, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At Shippensburg, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses that focus on constitutional law, political behavior, and public policy dealing with health care and older adults. Sara took a leave of absence from her faculty position to earn her J.D. at The Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University. She worked as a law clerk for the Governor's Office of General Counsel under Governor Tom Ridge and for The Honorable J. Michael Eakin of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Dr. Grove received her Ph.D. in American politics from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.