Why Congress

Philip A. Wallach (Senior Fellow, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute)

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English

Oxford University Press Inc
30 August 2023

History; History of the Americas; Comparative politics; Central government; Law

A bold defense of our nation's legislature and its ability to work through the country's deepest divisions, and a stark warning of what our political future holds if we allow Congress to decay.

Like it or not, our country's future depends on Congress. The Founding Fathers made a representative, deliberative legislature the indispensable pillar of the American constitutional system, giving it more power and responsibility than any other branch of government. Yet today, contempt for Congress is nearly universal. To a large extent, even members of Congress themselves are unable to explain and defend the value of their institution. Why Congress takes on this challenge squarely, explaining why our increasingly divided politics demand a legislature capable of pitting factions against each other and forcing them to work out accommodations. This book covers the past, present, and future of the institution to understand how it has become so dysfunctional, but also to suggest how it might be restored. The book vividly shows how a healthy Congress made it possible for the country to work through some of its most difficult challenges, including World War II and the struggle for civil rights. But transformations that began in the 1970s ultimately empowered congressional leaders to suppress dissent within their own parties and frame a maximally divisive agenda. In stark contrast to the earlier episodes, where legislators secured durable political resolutions, in facing contemporary challenges, such as immigration and COVID-19, Congress has exacerbated divisions rather than searching for compromises with broad appeal. But Congress' power to organize itself suggests a way out. Wallach deftly explains that while Congress could accept its descent into decrepitude or cede its power to the president, a Madisonian revival of deliberation can yet restore our system of government's ability to work through deep divides.

By: Philip A. Wallach (Senior Fellow Senior Fellow American Enterprise Institute)
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 163mm, Width: 229mm, Spine: 48mm
Weight: 590g
ISBN: 9780197657874
ISBN 10: 0197657877
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 30 August 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface 1. What Congress Alone Can Do Part I: When Congress Worked 2. Congress and World War II 3. The Achievement of Civil Rights Part II: Congress Transformed 4. Cacophony - The Reforms of the 1970s 5. Conservatives against Congress 6. The Triumph of Partisan Posturing over Politics Part III: The Costs of a Failing Congress 7. Failing to Compromise on Immigration 8. Congress and COVID: We Needed Leadership, They Gave us Cash Part IV: Three Futures for Congress 9. Decrepitude 10. Rubber Stamp 11. Revival Postscript: An Open Letter to America's Legislators

Philip A. Wallach is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he studies America's separation of powers, with a focus on regulatory policy issues and the relationship between Congress and the administrative state.

Reviews for Why Congress

With its historical analysis of Congress and insight into its potential future, this book will appeal to political science and public policy majors. A recommended purchase for academic libraries. * Library Journal * Nuanced and persuasive, this is a valuable reminder that Congress has risen to the moment before and can do so again. * Publishers Weekly *