by Burdett A. Loomis, Wendy J. Schiller (2006)
How does Congress function? Why are there so many hindrances to policymaking? What are the alternatives to the decentralized nature of this institution? The Contemporary Congress draws on extensive contemporary research to provide a basic understanding of the United States Congress. In the wake of the 1994 elections, Loomis examines the decentralized Congress of the last forty years and the possibilities for the new Congress to produce coherent, programmatic policies.
Richard C. Lindberg
Traces the stormy history of the Chicago Police department from the 1850s to the Summerdale Scandal. Includes a retrospective of some of the most infamous murder cases of the twentieth century. Discusses the ties between politics, organized crime, vice, and the police department.
Lee H. Hamilton with Jordan Tama
"A Creative Tension is a unique look at the foreign policy roles of Congress and the president by one of the most astute congressional practitioners of foreign policy of recent decades, former U.S. representative and chairman of the House International Relations Committee Lee H. Hamilton. With an insider's perspective based on thirty-four years in Congress, Hamilton elucidates current domestic and international pressures influencing U.S. foreign policy, strengths and weaknesses in the foreign policy process, and ways to improve the performance of the president and Congress. A Creative Tension argues that better consultation between the executive and legislative branches is the most effective way to strengthen American foreign policy. This book should be of interest to foreign policy makers, scholars and students of American politics, and the general public."--BOOK JACKET.
Michael W. Bowers
"Nevada's politics have been formed in large measure by its turbulent history and harsh environment. Bowers' concise volume explains the dynamics of this process, which is strikingly unique among the fifty states. This is a readable and insightful explanation of how Nevada's history has formed its political culture, and how its government works today. The Sagebrush State includes the full text of the state constitution, with extensive annotations of all amendments to the original 1864 document. The Sagebrush State serves as a text for the study of Nevada's history and constitution, which is a graduation requirement at the state's colleges and universities. The fourth edition of this work is updated through 2012 to include information on the elections of 2010 and 2012 and recent controversial sessions of the Legislature"-- "Nevada's politics have been shaped by its turbulent history and harsh environment. Bowers' concise volume explains the dynamics of this process, which is strikingly unique among the fifty states. This is a readable and insightful explanation of how Nevada's history has formed its political culture, and how its government works today. The Sagebrush State, thoroughly updated for this 4th Edition, serves as the test for the required course on Nevada's history and constitution given at all state colleges and universities. It includes the full text of the state constitution, with extensive annotations of all amendments to the original 1864 document"--
Mark Wahlgren Summers
"For a generation, scholarship on the Reconstruction era has rightly focused on the struggles of the recently enslaved for a meaningful freedom and defined its success or failure largely in those terms. Summers goes beyond this vitally important question, focusing on Reconstruction's need to form an enduring Union without sacrificing the framework of federalism and republican democracy. This book offers a fresh explanation for Reconstruction's demise and a case for its essential successes as well as its great failures. Indeed, this book demonstrates the extent to which the victors' aims in 1865 were met--and at what cost"--