The House at Work

The House at Work

The House at Work

The House at Work

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Overview

There exists a rich literature on the workings of the United States Congress, but The House at Work is the first book to focus on the institutional performance of the House of Representatives. A complete overview of the complex functioning and dynamics of Congress is presented by distinguished contributors, drawing upon both real-life experience and organization theory.

Each essay presents material on activities central to legislative work in the House, including the internal operations of member and committee offices, the administrative support system of the House, the impact of organizational structure and information resources on individual decision making, the expanding application of computer technology, the character of the personnel system, and the processing of constituent casework.

Nearly all contributors were professional staff members of the U.S. House Commission on Administrative Review in 1976 and 1977, whose analysis of the internal operations of the House was acomprehensive investigation. Their academic training, buttressed by significant practical experience on Capitol Hill, makes this book of great value to both students and scholars of the legislative process. In addition to the editors, the contributors include Glenn R. Parker, Thomas E. Cavanagh, Allan J. Katz, John R. Johannes, Thomas J. O'Donnell, David W. Brady, Louis Sandy Maisel, Susan Webb Hammond, Jarold A. Kieffer, James A. Thurber, and Jeffrey A. Goldberg.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780292737280
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication date: 11/01/1981
Pages: 376
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.84(d)

About the Author

Joseph Cooper is Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University.G. Calvin Mackenzie is Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professor of Government at Colby College.

Table of Contents

  • Introduction. Coping in a Complex Age: Challenge, Response, and Reform in the House of Representatives (G. Calvin Mackenzie)
  • Part I. Defining the Job: The Context of Job Performance
    • 1. Can Congress Ever Be a Popular Institution? (Glenn R. Parker)
    • 2. The Two Arenas of Congress (Thomas E. Cavanagh)
    • 3. Casework in the House (John R. Johannes)
    • 4. The Politics of Congressional Ethics (Allan J. Katz)
  • Part II. Managing the Work: The Context of Work Management
    • 5. Controlling Legislative Time (Thomas J. O’Donnell)
    • 6. Personnel Management in the House (David W. Brady)
    • 7. The Management of Legislative Offices (Susan Webb Hammond)
    • 8. Providing Administrative Support Services to the House (Jarold A. Kieffer)
  • Part III. Informing the Decision-Making Process: The Context of Information and Decision Making
    • 9. Congressional Information Sources (Louis Sandy Maisel)
    • 10. Computer Usage in the House (Jeffrey A. Goldberg)
    • 11. The Evolving Role and Effectiveness of the Congressional Research Agencies (James A. Thurber)
  • Conclusion. Organization and Innovation in the House of Representatives (Joseph Cooper)
  • Notes on Contributors
  • Index
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