Political Science / American Government / Legislative Branch

An Historical Tapestry of Controversies, Risks, Mistakes, Victories, and Defeats through Arlen Specter’s Long Career

Because of the power-fearing drafters of the U.S. Constitution, presidents have had to look beyond the formal powers of the office to influence Congress and push a legislative agenda. In Between the Branches, a book of unprecedented depth, Kenneth Collier traces the evolution of the methods the White House has developed to influence Congress over nine adminstrations, from Eisenhower to Clinton.

Although compromise is an inherent part of politics, many politicians chose not to adjust their goals for fear of losing supporters or a strong debate position. It is the strategies of these office holders that John Gilmour describes in Strategic Disagreement, illuminating lost opportunities to pass important legislation resulting from such disagreements.

Congressional supervision of the way the executive implements legislative mandates-“oversight” of the bureaucracy-is one of the most complex and least understood functions of Congress. In this book, Morris Ogul clarifies the meaning of oversight and analyzes the elements that contribute to its success or neglect.