Congressional Government

A Study in American Politics

Woodrow Wilson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351526654
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

The government of the United States is a living system. As such, it is subject to subtle change and modification over time, but still maintains a constancy via its central nervous system-a congressional form of rule. Woodrow Wilson saw congressional government as ""Committee"" government. It is administered by semi-independent executive agents who obey the dictates of a legislature, though the agents themselves are not of ultimate authority or accountability. Written by Wilson when he was a twenty-eight-year-old graduate student, this is an astounding examination of the American legislative branches, especially in light of the fact that Wilson had not yet even visited Congress at the time of its composition.Wilson divides Congressional Government into six parts. In part one, his introductory statement, Wilson analyzes the need for a federal Constitution and asks whether or not it is still a document that should be unquestioningly venerated. In part two, Wilson describes the make-up and functions of the House of Representatives in painstaking detail. Part three is concerned with taxation and financial administration by the government and its resulting economic repercussions. Part four is an explanation of the Senate's role in the legislative process. The electoral system and responsibilities of the president are the central concerns of part five. And Wilson concludes, in part six, with a both philosophical and practical summarization of the congressional form of the United States government, in which he also compares it to European modes of state governance.In a new introduction specially prepared for this edition, William F. Connelly, Jr. compares Wilson, as a professional politician, to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He notes that Wilson's ideas, which have had a lasting influence, helped form Gingrich's outlook on the role of the Constitution and the executive branch in the legislative process. He also investigates Wilson's criticism of Madison's separat

Index

Aberdeen, Lord, and civil service reform, 285.

Accounts, British public, how audited, 144,

how kept, 146;

French public, how kept, 145;

federal, how audited, 175-179;

how kept formerly, 179.

Adams, John, on the constitutional balancea, 12, 13;

influence of, as President, 41;

claim of originality for the Constitution, 55, 249.

Adams, Samuel, 209.

“Address” of early Presidents to Senate, 239.

Administration, talents for. not encouraged in U. S., 199, 200;

questions of, now predominant, 203;

divorced from legislation in U.S., 251-253;

training necessary for, 265, 256;

contrasted with legislation, 273, 274;

not less important than legislation, 297;

must be debated, 302;

tendency towards widening sphere of national, 316, 317.

Alabama claims, in Senate, 51.

Alien and Sedition Laws, 21.

Amendment difficulty of constitutional, 242, 243;

extra-constitutional, 243.

“American system” of protective tariffs; 167.

Appointing power of Speaker of House, 103;

history of, of Speaker, 104;

accustomed uee of, for party ends, 108.

Appropriation, bills, “general,” 150;

former methods of, 151;

stinginess of Congress in, 152, 159;

bills, reported at any time, 153;

bills, specially debated, 78, 154, 155, 183, 184;

bills, in the Senate, 156-158.

Appropriations, debate of, 78, 164, 155, 183, 184;

“white-button mandarins” of Committee on, 111

Committee on, consider estimates, 149;

“permanent,” 152, 153;

Committee on, controls only annual grants, 153;

semi-annual, 159;

Committees on, relations between, and financial officers of the govt., 160-164;

reports of Committee on, preferred to reports of Committee of Ways and Means, 174, 183, 184.

Audit of public accounts in England, 144;

in U. S., 175-179.

Bagehot, Walter, on living reality and paper description of English Constitution, 10;

description of Parliament by, applied to Congress, 44;

on time required for opinions, 130;

on public opinion, 187;

on House of Lords, 220;

on bicameral system, 221, 222;

on technicalities of constitutional interpretation in U. S., 243;

on questions asked in the Commons, 300;

on influence of Geo. III. on Constitution of U. S., 309;

on multiplicity of authorities in American Constitution, 309, 310.

Balance, between state and federal powers, see ‘Federal and State governments;’

between judiciary and other branches of federal govt., 34 et seq.;

between state legislatures and the Senate, 40;

of the people against their representatives, 40;

of presidential electors against the people, 40;

between Executive and Congress, 41;

between Senate and House of Representatives, real, 228.

Balances of the Constitution, ideal, 52;

present state of, 53;

at variance wi...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Transaction Introduction
• Preface to Fifteenth Edition
• Preface
• I. Introductory
• II. The House of Representatives.
• III. The House of Representatives. Revenue and Supply.
• IV. The Senate.
• V. The Executive.
• VI. Conclusion.
• Index