Discharging Congress : government by commission
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Discharging Congress : government by commission
Praeger, 2002
Available at 2 libraries
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [179]-181) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
The creation of temporary, independent advisory bodies that give advice to Congress, is an important yet under-investigated area of congressional delegation. With variations to fit the circumstances, lawmakers entrust commissions to accomplish diverse goals, such as coping with increases in the scope and complexity of legislation, forging consensus, drafting legislation, finessing institutional obstacles, coordinating strategy, and promoting party unity.
Campbell investigates why and when Congress formulates policy by commissions rather than by the normal legislative process. He shows that many variables go into the decision to entrust those bodies to render non-partisan recommendations. According to lawmakers and their staff, the three primary justifications for choosing to delegate to commission include expertise, workload, and avoidance. Which of these three dominates depends in large part on the politics surrounding a particular issue and the nature of the policy problem. The logic of delegation to each of the three commission types is different. Which reason dominates depends in large part on the politics surrounding the issue and the nature of the legislative policy problem. Scholars, students, and other researchers involved with Congress, American government, and public policy will find the study of particular interest.
Table of Contents
Preface Introduction The Development and Use of Ad Hoc Commissions in Legislative Policymaking The Path to Delegation The Politics of Congressional Delegation A Case in Expertise: The National Commission on AIDS A Study in Workload Management: The National Commission on The Thrift Industry A Study in Blame Avoidance: The Base Closure and Realignment Commission The Significance of Commissions in Understanding Legislative Behavior Appendix 1: Method and Scope of Research Appendix 2: Legislative Language Creating a Commission Appendix 3: Proposed Commissions: 93rd through 107th Congresses Selected Bibliography Index
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