Legislative Labyrinth: Congress and Campaign Finance Reform [Paperback]

Diana Dwyre (Author), Victoria A. Farrar-Myers (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1568025688 | ISBN-13: 978-1568025681 | Publication Date: October 1, 2000

This engaging and accessible case study--of interest to those studying Congress, the policymaking process, or campaign finance reform--analyzes the contemporary policy making process through the lens of the recent effort to enact campaign finance reform. Written by two scholars who worked in key congressional offices as APSA fellows, Legislative Labyrinth offers an insider's perspective and fascinating insights that most other books on policy making do not. The book explores the many components of the legislative process: the use of unconventional legislative procedures; the role of policy entrepreneurs and issue leaders; the importance of political parties; and the impact that outside forces (such as the president, interest groups, and the media) have on Congress's internal workings. The book also considers the policy questions raised by campaign finance reform and why this issue generates such intense debate within Congress. Arranged by topic, the book complements textbook coverage and gives students a thoroughly rich view of the process.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Diana Dwyre is associate professor of political science at California State University, Chico. Her research on campaign finance and political parties has been published in several journals, including Legislative Studies Quarterly and American Politics Quarterly, and in books such as Financing the 1996 Eelctions and The State of the Parties. She was the 1998 American Political Science Association Steiger Congressional Fellow.

Victoria A. Farrar-Myers is assistant professor of political science at the University of Texas, Arlington. Her research on Congress, the presidency, and campaign finance has been published in Congress and the Presidency and American Review of Politics and appears in the book The Presidency and the Law. She has received such honors as the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship and a research grant from the Dirksen Congressional Center.

Product Details

• Paperback: 291 pages
• Publisher: CQ Press (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568025688
• ISBN-13: 978-1568025681
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,107,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Cluttered and stale, March 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Legislative Labyrinth: Congress and Campaign Finance Reform (Paperback)

The authors spend so much time describing the substance of campaign finance they don't really cover the legislative process well, and so much time covering the legislative in and outs of campaign finance efforts in the House, they don't cover the substance of campaign finance too well. At times reads like an extended press release by Common Cause. A disappointment.