The American Congress (9^th Ed., Revised edition)

The ninth edition of this respected textbook provides a fresh perspective and a crisp introduction to congressional politics. Informed by the authors' Capitol Hill experience and scholarship, the new edition reflects changes resulting from the November 2014 elections and such developments as (a) a new majority party in the Senate, (b) new campaign spending numbers and election outcomes, rules, committees, leaders, and budget developments, and (c) recent political science literature that provides new perspectives on the institution. The text emphasizes the importance of a strong legislature and has discussion questions and further reading. Alongside clear explanations of congressional rules and the law-making process, there are examples from contemporary events and debates that highlight Congress as a group of politicians as well as a law-making body. These recent developments are presented within the context of congressional political history.

1. The troubled Congress; 2. Representation and lawmaking in Congress: the constitutional and historical context; 3. Congressional elections; 4. Members, goals, resources, and strategies; 5. Parties and leaders; 6. The standing committees; 7. The rules of the legislative game; 8. The floor and voting; 9. Congress and the president; 10. Congress and the courts; 11. Congress, lobbyists, and interest groups; 12. Congress and budget politics.

Steven S. Smith is a Professor of Political Science, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science, and Director of the Murray Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy at Washington University, St Louis. He has chaired the Legislative Studies Section of the American Political Science Association and has served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Political Science, The Journal of Politics, and Legislative Studies Quarterly.
Jason M. Roberts is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He co-edited the book Why Not Parties? Party Effects in the US Senate (2009). His articles have been published in the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, and Legislative Studies Quarterly.
Ryan J. Vander Wielen is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Temple University, Philadelphia. His articles have appeared in Political Analysis, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and Public Choice.