Description:
Congress and Its Members has been the gold standard for Congress courses for thirty years. Now in its 20th edition, the book offers comprehensive and current coverage of the U.S. Congress and the legislative process by examining the tension between Congress as a lawmaking institution and as a collection of politicians constantly seeking re-election.
The 20th Edition covers the outcomes of the 2024 election and subsequent changes in congressional organization and leadership. Updated coverage looks at how Congress operates in today′s polarized context, including recent procedural changes, policy debates, and interbranch dynamics, as well as a breakdown of data on the members of the new Congress.
Always balancing great scholarship with currency, the book features lively case material along with relevant data, charts, maps, and photos.
Brief description:
Eric Schickler is Jeffrey & Ashley McDermott Professor of Political Science at the
University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of three books that have won the
Richard F. Fenno Jr. Prize for the best book on legislative politics: Disjointed Pluralism:
Institutional Innovation and the Development of the U.S. Congress (2001), Filibuster:
Obstruction and Lawmaking in the United States Senate (2006, with Gregory Wawro),
and Investigating the President: Congressional Checks on Presidential Power (2016, with
Douglas Kriner; also a winner of the Richard E. Neustadt Prize for the best book on
executive politics). His book Racial Realignment: The Transformation of American
Liberalism, 1932-1965 was the winner of the Woodrow Wilson Prize for the best book
on government, politics, or international affairs published in 2016, and is co-winner of
the J. David Greenstone Prize for the best book in history and politics from the previous
two calendar years. He is also the co-author of Partisan Hearts and Minds, which
was published in 2002.
Review Quotes: Continues to meet the expectations created by prior editions. Scholarly, accessible to undergrads, up-to-date with illustrations and discussion coming from the current 119th Congress.--Janet Martin (10/10/2025 12:00:00 AM)