The United States Congress - Contemporary Review - Book Review

Contemporary Review, July, 2003

The United States Congress. Ross M. English. Manchester University Press. [pounds sterling]40.00. 177 pages. ISBN 0-7190-6308-6. The United States' federal legislature is one of the world's most powerful legislative bodies, arguably the most powerful, yet it is also, in Britain, the most misunderstood.

It functions much as Parliament did when the colonies broke away from the Mother Country. It was set up under the great eighteenth century reformists' demand for a legislature separate from the executive, a body which, unlike Parliament, was independent. It also was the legislature of a federal union of semi-sovereign bodies so the upper house, representing the states, has actually gained power since the 1780s rather than lose it. This short guide is not so much concerned with the history of Congress (only the first chapter traces this) but with how it works in the twenty-first century. The author has concentrated mainly on the period after 1994 in which year the Republicans gained a majority of both houses. He discusses congressional elections, the work of Representatives and Senators, the all important committee system, parties and their power (and lack thereof), debates, work behind the scenes and Congress' relations with the President, the media and lobbies. Finally there is a short assessment which shows that if the Presidency has gained power, so too has the Congress and which analyses the demands of the new century on the legislature. This will serve as a good and lucid introduction to the topic and can be heartily recommended. (A.G.R.)