Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process

by Walter J. Oleszek, Mark J. Oleszek, Elizabeth E. Rybicki, William Alan Heniff

Overview

"The book does an outstanding job in covering all the necessary details on congressional rules and procedures, most of which are not easy to understand. [...] It has been and will remain to be a must-read for all the congressional politics students and Washington insiders."

– Hong Min Park, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process examines the entire arc of the legislative process—from a bill’s introduction, to its signature into law, to congressional review of the law’s administrative implementation—and the many procedural pitfalls that exist along the way. Author Walter J. Oleszek and co-authors Mark Oleszek, Elizabeth Rybicki, and Bill Heniff, Jr. do not shy away from the complexity of the topic, yet they ensure that the operations of Congress are understandable to students and practitioners alike. Through an array of interesting examples, case studies, and the authors’ personal anecdotes, this definitive work delivers timely explanation and analysis of the nation’s premier lawmaking institution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506367477
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	09/19/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	488
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Walter J. Oleszek is a senior specialist in the legislative process at the Congressional

Research Service. He has served as either a full-time professional staff aide or consultant

to many major House and Senate congressional reorganization efforts beginning

with the passage of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970. In 1993, he served as

policy director of the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress. A former

adjunct faculty member at American University, Oleszek is a frequent lecturer to various

academic, governmental, and business groups. He is the author or co-author of several

books, including Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process, 11th ed. (2020),

and Congress Under Fire: Reform Politics and the Republican Majority, with C. Lawrence

Evans (1997).

Table of Contents

Preface
About the Authors
Chapter 1: Congress and Lawmaking
The Constitutional Context
Functions of Rules and Procedures
Rules and Policymaking in Congress
Congressional Decision Making
The House and Senate Compared
Pressures on Members
Chapter 2: The Congressional Budget Process
Authorization–Appropriations Process
Establishing a Congressional Budget Process
Evolution of Statutory Budget Procedures
Case Study: The Government Shutdown of 2013
Chapter 3: Preliminary Legislative Action
Categories of Legislation
Bill Referral Procedure
Consideration in Committee
The Committee Chair’s Role
Committee Hearings
The Markup
Committee Markup Procedures
The Report
Bypassing Committees
Chapter 4: Scheduling Legislation in the House
The House Legislative Calendars
Minor and Noncontroversial Measures
Privileged Legislation
Major Legislation
Promises of Openness by the Majority Party
Legislation Blocked in Committee
Final Scheduling Steps
Chapter 5: House Floor Procedure
Debate
Voting
Consideration of Major Legislation
Final Procedural Steps
Opposition Tactics
Chapter 6: Scheduling Legislation in the Senate
Legislative and Calendar Days
Calendars and Rule XIV
Motion to Proceed to Consider a Bill
Bills Taken Up by Unanimous Consent
Bills Privileged for Consideration
Clearance
Holds
Executive Businesses
Major Scheduling Considerations
Chapter 7: Senate Floor Procedure
Debate and the Filibuster
Cloture
The Amending Process
Principle of Precedence and the Amendment Trees
Unanimous Consent Agreements and the Amending Process
Strategic Uses of Amendments
Quorum and Voting Procedures
Procedural Change in the Senate
Chapter 8: Resolving House–Senate Differences
Procedural Methods for Reaching Agreement
Amendment Exchange Between the Chambers
Preconference Considerations
Conference Committee Process
Presidential Approval or Veto
Case Study: A Procedural Sketch: The Surface Transportation Conference, 2012
Chapter 9: Legislative Oversight
Oversight: An Overview
Techniques of Oversight
Impeachment
Oversight Trends and Incentives
Lack of Consensus on Oversight
Chapter 10: A Dynamic Process
Observations About Lawmaking
Centralization of Authority in the Speakership
Congress and the Information Age
Resurgence of Sharp Partisanship
Glossary of Selected Congressional Terms
Selected Bibliography
Selected Internet Sources
Index

Editorial Reviews

YA Students of American history and government will appreciate this comprehensive analysis of the way in which the U.S. Congress establishes policy for the nation. Some chapters will be especially good for high-school curriculum: ``Congress and Lawmaking,'' ``The Congressional Environment,'' and ``The Congressional Budget Process,'' among others. A few sections will be more used by teachers supporting their lectures: ``House Floor Procedure,'' and ``Legislative Oversight,'' as examples. An excellent chart demonstrates ``How a Bill Becomes a Law,'' and is only one of several such well-drawn demonstrations. The comprehensive index and glossary also add to the value of the book, which will be well used in many high-school libraries. Sherry Solomon, Episcopal High School, Bellaire, Tex.

School Library Journal

Helps students, journalists, legislative aides, lobbyists, and citizens make sense of the dynamic process by which our laws are made. Takes readers inside the halls of Congress to look at the rules, procedures, historical precedents, and stratagems that confront every bill introduced in Congress. Numerous examples and colorful quotations from real-life legislative experience, as well as sample documents, illustrate specific points and illuminate the important stages of lawmaking. This fifth edition is revised to cover the latest trends and developments on Capitol Hill. Oleszek is specialist in American national government at the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

This text covers all the major aspects of lawmaking. Outside of the parliamentarian, I consider Walter Oleszek the source for how a bill becomes a law.

Michael Crespin

In my view, Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process is unrivaled as the premier book on the legislative process in Congress. Oleszek adeptly covers all the key aspects of the nuts-and-bolts for each chamber, and very clearly details the budget process (which is no easy task). The strength of the book is in its detail from which the more engaged student benefits tremendously.

Charles Finocchiaro

I encourage students who ever want to do an internship in Washington or Austin to keep the book as they will have a comparative advantage over other interns if they know the rules. The book covers the material in a systematic and comprehensive way—just right in my opinion. Oleszek does as good a job as possible to make congressional procedures interesting and relevant to undergraduates.

Jason Casellas

Walter Oleszek’s Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process is the gold standard of books on Congress, providing the ideal backbone to any course on Congress. The book is a must-read for Hill interns and new staff if they want to be effective in their jobs and make a difference. He who knows the rules, rules – and Walter Oleszek knows the rules. The book is fair and evenhanded in addressing controversies in Hill politics and among political scientists. A solid foundation for anyone seeking to understand Congress today. None better.”

William F. Connelly Jr.

The book does an outstanding job in covering all the necessary details on congressional rules and procedures, most of which are not easy to understand. Oleszek and et. al. successfully explains very technical concepts in a clear and accessible fashion. In addition, a lot of examples and anecdotes certainly help. It has been and will remain to be a must-read for all the congressional politics students and Washington insiders.

Hong Min Park

This book offers impressively comprehensive coverage of just about every aspect of congressional procedures that I can think of. In terms of the language, the text is very readable and accessible for undergraduates, and I appreciate how the authors have used quotes from members of Congress to illustrate numerous specific points.

Greg M. Shaw

Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process is well written, well researched and answers important questions about Congress in an accessible way. The strengths of the text clearly lie in the attention to congressional procedure. The text offers a detailed explanation of difficult concepts like filling the amendment tree and the budget and appropriation process. These sometimes highly technical concepts are explained in comprehensive yet clear terms and usually are accompanied by a visual aid of some sort. The graphics are especially important for the students. The explanation also includes plentiful examples and anecdotes from the process. These anecdotes are particularly illuminating when it comes to understanding how the rules and norms of the House and Senate are put into action by members.

Jason D. Mycoff

With no exaggeration, I love teaching this text. The main strength of the text is the framing of the work around the policy making process. Our Political Science program has a strong Public Administration tone, so this text explains how the nuts and bolts of policy are created and how the legislative branch truly affects the outcome. We are trying to prepare our students to work in government, so any textbook that explains the nitty-gritty of policy-making is a must teach. "

Joshua R. Meddaugh

Oleszek’s book is wonderful! It works its way systematically through all the issues that need to be covered in a comprehensive study of Congress; it touches on much of the literature that we go on to read in full and thus shows how all the literature on Congress works together; it is utterly non-partisan (which is crucial); and it demonstrates a love of Congress and a respect for how the institution has developed over time. Oleszek gives enough history, enough current events, and enough theory for the students to see how all things congressional hang together. This book is the centerpiece of the class, and I’d never give it up!

Dianne Rothleder