Great theatre : the American Congress in the 1990s / edited by Herbert F. Weisberg, Samuel C. Patterson

Published:: Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Physical Description:: 1 online resource (xviii, 317 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).
Additional Creators:: Weisberg, Herbert F. and Patterson, Samuel C., 1931-

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Contents:

Theatre in the round : Congress in action / Herbert F. Weisberg and Samuel C. Patterson -- Representation in Congress : line drawing and minorities / Kenny J. Whitby and Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. -- Unsympathetic audience : citizens' evaluations of Congress / Samuel C. Patterson and David C. Kimball -- Back from intermission : the 1994 elections and the return to divided government / Dean Lacy -- Directing 535 leading men and leading ladies : party leadership in the modern Congress / Paul S. Herrnson -- Little theatre : committees in Congress / Tim Groseclose and David C. King -- The unfolding drama : party and ideology in the 104th House / Barry C. Burden and Aage R. Clausen -- The plot thickens : Congress and the president / Barbara Sinclair -- Congress and the courts : a case of casting / Elliot E. Slotnick and Sheldon Goldman -- Behind the scenes : the Supreme Court and Congress in statutory interpretation / Lori Hausegger and Lawrence Baum -- Congress and foreign policy : a neglected stage / Randall B. Ripley -- "The play's the thing" : Congress and the future / Samuel C. Patterson and Herbert F. Weisberg.

Summary:

The 104th Congress, the first in four decades to be Republican-controlled, may prove to have ushered in an era of party dominance by congressional Republicans, or to be a transitory aberration. Either way, the 104th is a watershed in congressional history. Using the theatre metaphor to characterize the actions of Congress and to help make the institution more understandable, Congressional life and behaviour is dissected and placed in the broader context of changes in Congress in the 1990s. The contributors evaluate the way members of Congress play to the media and the larger audience, the electorate; analyze leadership roles in a cast of 535 'leading players'; evaluate the committee systems as 'little theatre'; and analyze relations among the various branches of government. Herbert Weisberg and Samuel Patterson conclude the presentation by reminding us that in Congress, 'the play's the thing'.

Subject(s):

ISBN:

9780511625589 (ebook)
9780521585187 (hardback)
9780521585255 (paperback)

Note:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

View MARC record | catkey: 34843637