Always a classic, Dodd and Oppenheimer's Congress Reconsidered is the recognized source for in-depth, cutting-edge scholarship on Congress geared to undergraduates. Thoroughly updated for the 112th Congress.

Since its first edition, Congress Reconsidered was designed to make available the best contemporary work from leading congressional scholars in a form that is both challenging and accessible to undergraduates. With their Twelfth Edition, Lawrence C. Dodd, Bruce I. Oppenheimer, and C. Lawrence Evans continue this tradition as their contributors focus on how various aspects of Congress have changed over time: C. Lawrence Evans partners with Wendy Schiller to discuss the U.S. Senate and the meaning of dysfunction; Molly E. Reynolds analyzes the politics of the budget and appropriations process in a polarized Congress; and Danielle M. Thomsen looks at the role of women and voter preferences in the 2018 elections. With a strong new focus on political polarization, this bestselling volume remains on the cutting edge with key insights into the workings of Congress.

This is a discounted, shrink-wrapped package of 1-56802-935-7 (Congress and Its Members 10e, Davidson/Oleszek) with 1-56802-859-8 (Congress Reconsidered 8e, Dodd/Oppenheimer).

Since its first edition, Congress Reconsidered was designed to make available the best contemporary work from leading congressional scholars in a form that is both challenging and accessible to undergraduates. With their Twelfth Edition, Lawrence C. Dodd, Bruce I. Oppenheimer, and C. Lawrence Evans continue this tradition as their contributors focus on how various aspects of Congress have changed over time: C. Lawrence Evans partners with Wendy Schiller to discuss the U.S. Senate and the meaning of dysfunction; Molly E. Reynolds analyzes the politics of the budget and appropriations process in a polarized Congress; and Danielle M. Thomsen looks at the role of women and voter preferences in the 2018 elections. With a strong new focus on political polarization, this bestselling volume remains on the cutting edge with key insights into the workings of Congress.

Congressional ratings have fallen to single digits; citizens believe that Congress fails to do the things its members are publicly paid to do. What does Congress do for our dollars, and how has that changed in the last 50 years? What was the cost to taxpayers for Bill Clinton's impeachment hearings? What about the Benghazi investigation and efforts to obtain the votes required to repeal Obamacare while failing to consider Zika virus funding bills? What is the true cost of earmarks? Why do Congress members continue to get paid during government shutdowns? Congress's increasing use of continuing resolutions and agencies' almost semi-annual preparations for government shutdowns come at a significant cost. Combining extensive documentary research with interviews of current and former members and staffers, The Cost of Congress assesses not only how Congress spends tax dollars on its operations but also what Americans receive for those dollars. Kunz and Atsas assign dollar values, using federal data, to congressional practices and policies. They examine the costs of producing legislation, court challenges, and Supreme Court reversals. They also look at the costs of committee and special investigations, committee assignments, staffing and facilities, and such perks as the gym, meals, and franking. Readers-taxpayers from all walks of life-will come away with a comprehensive view of the costs of operating Congress.

The book introduces Legislative Conflict Theory. The theory suggests that conflict in legislatures is two-dimensional and that a moderate level of conflict will be most productive. The two types of conflict are policy differences and relational conflict. Using the US Congress as a testing ground, and novel indicators of both forms of conflict and legislative productivity, the book tests the theory various ways. The testing arrives at the conclusion that specific Congresses and historical eras, easily identified as more productive, experienced a median level of two-dimensional conflict. There are implications for effective legislative process in all political settings including democratically elected legislatures and ‘rubber stamp’ legislatures in authoritarian environments. In the end, the research makes the case for recruiting the right type of people to serve. However, the most effective legislators will be context dependent. In low conflict scenarios, rabble-rousers become the most effective legislators. When two-dimensional conflict is too high, the need is for disciplined-mannerly legislators committed to compromise.