Unorthodox Lawmaking : New Legislative Processes in the U. S. Congress

Gone are the days when all bills followed a standard route through the legislative process to the president's desk. Today's bills can be dismantled and routed through numerous committees, or hot-button legislation might bypass the committee stage altogether. This enlightening new book takes a detailed look at the legislative process as it really is today, including the various detours or shortcuts a major bill of the mid-1990s is likely to encounter. The contemporary legislative process is illustrated with real-life examples through a series of case studies on national service legislation, regulatory overhaul, the omnibus drug bill, Clinton's economic program, and the Republican budget process. Anyone interested in how Congress really works will find this book a valuable resource.

Barbara Sinclair is Marvin Hoffenberg Professor of American Politics at the University of California at Los Angeles