Category Archives: Bicameralism

Continuing Resolution Passes House 219-203

Late tonight the House passed a resolution by a vote of 219 to 203 to fund the government through the 18th of November.  Yesterday, a similar resolution failed on the House floor as 48 Republicans (mostly conservatives) joined almost all Democrats … Continue reading

Posted in Bicameralism, Legislative Politics, Legislative Procedure | Leave a comment

Reasons to be Optimistic about the Super Committee

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction—a.k.a. the “super committee”—will hold its first official meeting today (September 8th) at 10:30am.  Today’s meeting of the committee is an organizational one, with members debating and approving the committee’s rules and procedures.  Any … Continue reading

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A Long History of Super Committees: The Connecticut Compromise

I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from the blog the past few weeks.  I had to make some editorial revisions to my dissertation, pack everything, move, unpack and prepare my syllabi for the upcoming semester.  But I’m gainfully employed and finally … Continue reading

Posted in American Political Development, Bicameralism | 1 Comment

“Cognitive Madisonians” and Congressional Approval

Declining approval of Congress is a popular topic these days (note: low Congressional approval is always popular, just more so recently).  The importance of this issue was aptly described in 1974 by Arthur Miller: “a democratic political system cannot survive for … Continue reading

Posted in Bicameralism, Legislative Politics, Political Behavior | 2 Comments

John Boehner: Legislative Innovator

Late Friday, a 19-page resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives that would fund the federal government for two weeks beyond the current shutdown deadline (see a Politico article here).  The work of Speaker Boehner, this resolution would trim … Continue reading

Posted in Bicameralism, Legislative Politics, Legislative Procedure | 5 Comments