The Imprint of Congress (The Henry L. Stimson Lectures Series)

What kind of job has America's routinely disparaged legislative body actually done? In The Imprint of Congress, the distinguished congressional scholar David R. Mayhew gives us an insightful historical analysis of the U.S. Congress’s performance from the late eighteenth century to today, exploring what its lasting imprint has been on American politics and society. Mayhew suggests that Congress has balanced the presidency in a surprising variety of ways, and in doing so, it has contributed to the legitimacy of a governing system faced by an often fractious public. What kind of job has America's routinely disparaged legislative body actually done? Here, the distinguished congressional scholar David R. Mayhew gives us an insightful historical analysis of the U.S. Congress's performance from the late 18th century to today, exploring what its lasting imprint has been on American politics and society. Mayhew suggests that Congress has balanced the presidency in a surprising variety of ways, and in doing so, it has contributed to the legitimacy of a governing system faced by an often fractious public "What kind of job has America's routinely disparaged legislative body actually done? In [this book, the author gives] historical analysis of the U.S. Congress's performance from the late eighteenth century to today, exploring what its lasting imprint has been on American politics and society. Mayhew suggests that Congress has balanced the presidency in a surprising variety of ways, and in doing so, it has contributed to the legitimacy of a governing system faced by an often fractious public."-- Provided by publisher Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1 Impulses and Imprints -- 2 Building a State and a Nation -- 3 Surges and Their Constraints -- 4 Depression and the Welfare State -- 5 After World War II -- 6 The Climate and the Debt -- 7 Legitimacy, Messiness, and Reflections -- Notes -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- V -- W -- Z An insightful examination of the imprint of Congress on politics and society throughout American history by a distinguished congressional scholar