Granstaff argues that in current partisan politics Congress systematically fails to fulfil its primary constitutional function of specifying the national interest. He begins by showing why full-representative-deliberation, or deliberation in which all representatives can participate, is one of three congressional institutions necessary to the maintainance of the country's democratic integrity. He then looks at the framers' writings, the practices of the first Congresses, and democratic theory to suggest a deliberative theory for the American constitutional system. Next, he reviews, criticizes, and supplements the literature on congressional deliberation from the theoretic perspective established earlier. After detailing his methodology, Granstaff applies it to three case studies: the use of American troops in Lebanon, the Persian Gulf, and Somalia. The findings in each case study are consistent with the hypothesis that the discourses—as deliberation—are phony. He then discusses the implications within the three case studies and for the American constitutional system as a whole. Ultimately, the book shows that when true deliberation is replaced by partisan posturing, various constituencies effectively lose their legitimate voice in national affairs. As a result, special interests usually guide federal policy. Granstaff concludes with a procedural suggestion that might alleviate this problem. This work is a timely critique for researchers and students of political communication, Congress, and democratic theory.
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Editorial Reviews
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?[T]his book contributes valuable insight by highlighting the logical fallacies of congressional deliberation and the lack of interaction in congressional speeches.?-APSA Legislative Studies Section Newsletter
Book Description
Shows the need for true deliberation on the floor of Congress and the dangers of the present partisan posturing.
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First Sentence:
On September 28, 1983, the House of Representatives was resolved into the Committee of the Whole House to deliberate a life and death question: Should the U.S. government continue to place its soldiers' lives at risk as a participant in the multinational peacekeeping force in Lebanon? Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
specifying the national interest, fallacy ratio, qua deliberation, agitative propaganda, interrogative interaction, exclusive panels, affective audience, doubtful evaluation, declarative interaction, deliberative opportunity, deliberative discourse, political whirlwind, democratic integrity, democratic connection, total discourse, common ground for the arguments, legislative questions, subsequent government policy, mass destruction pose, inclusive discourse, deliberative theory, deliberate sense, public scale, offensive military action, sentences addressed Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Persian Gulf, Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Lantos, Middle East, Committee of the Whole House, President Bush, Lebanon Resolution, Security Council, Foreign Relations Committee, Soviet Union, Congressman Gilman, Congressman Hamilton, Congressman Hyde, United Nations, Percentage of Sentences Addressed, Saudi Arabia, Congressman Lee Hamilton, Congressman Bereuter, Congressman Fascell, Congressman Goodling, Congressman Oberstar, Saddam Hussein, Senator Byrd, Senator Nunn New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
On September 28, 1983, the House of Representatives was resolved into the Committee of the Whole House to deliberate a life and death question: Should the U.S. government continue to place its soldiers' lives at risk as a participant in the multinational peacekeeping force in Lebanon? Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
specifying the national interest, fallacy ratio, qua deliberation, agitative propaganda, interrogative interaction, exclusive panels, affective audience, doubtful evaluation, declarative interaction, deliberative opportunity, deliberative discourse, political whirlwind, democratic integrity, democratic connection, total discourse, common ground for the arguments, legislative questions, subsequent government policy, mass destruction pose, inclusive discourse, deliberative theory, deliberate sense, public scale, offensive military action, sentences addressed Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Persian Gulf, Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Lantos, Middle East, Committee of the Whole House, President Bush, Lebanon Resolution, Security Council, Foreign Relations Committee, Soviet Union, Congressman Gilman, Congressman Hamilton, Congressman Hyde, United Nations, Percentage of Sentences Addressed, Saudi Arabia, Congressman Lee Hamilton, Congressman Bereuter, Congressman Fascell, Congressman Goodling, Congressman Oberstar, Saddam Hussein, Senator Byrd, Senator Nunn New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 66
books:
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17
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- The Federalist Papers (Signet Classics) by Alexander Hamilton on 4 pages
- The Federalist Papers (Dodo Press) by James Madison on page 18, page 49, and Back Matter
- Federalist Papers by John Jay on page 18, page 49, and Back Matter
- Political Communication in America: Third Edition (Praeger Series in Political Communication) by Robert E. Denton in Front Matter (1), and Front Matter (2)
- Knowledge, Power, and the Congress by William H. Robinson in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 66 books this book cites
- Videostyle in Presidential Campaigns: Style and Content of Televised Political Advertising (Praeger Studies in Political Communication) by Anne Johnston in Front Matter
- Campaign Craft: The Strategies, Tactics, and Art of Political Campaign Management, Revised and Expanded Edition by Daniel M. Shea in Front Matter
- Political Communication Ethics: An Oxymoron? (Praeger Series in Political Communication) by Robert E. Denton Jr. in Front Matter
- Talk of Power, Power of Talk: The 1994 Health Care Reform Debate and Beyond (Praeger Series in Political Communication) by Michael W. Shelton in Front Matter
- Political Communication Ethics: An Oxymoron? by Robert E. Denton in Front Matter
See all 17 books citing this book
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