The Imprint of Congress (The Henry L. Stimson Lectures Series)

About this book

What kind of job has Americas routinely disparaged legislative body actually done? In The Imprint of Congress the distinguished congressional scholar David R. Mayhew gives us an insightful historical analysis of the U.S. Congresss performance from the late eighteenth century to today exploring what its lasting imprint has been on American politics and society. Mayhew suggests that Congress has balanced the presidency in a surprising variety of ways and in doing so it has contributed to the legitimacy of a governing system faced by an often fractious public.