The only text published with each new Congress, THE CONTEMPORARY CONGRESS is a concise text that can be used as a supplement but covers all the foundations of a course on Congress. From the underlying theory of representative democracy and the process of elections to the legislative process, the relationship between Congress and the Presidency, and the rules that govern how Congress does its work, THE CONTEMPORARY CONGRESS offers students a brief but comprehensive view into how and why Congress functions. The book focuses on the struggle between the centralizing and decentralizing forces in the legislative branch.The only text for the course published with each new Congress, THE CONTEMPORARY CONGRESS is a concise text that can be used as a supplement but covers all the foundations of a course on Congress. From the underlying theory of representative democracy and the process of elections to the legislative process, the relationship between Congress and the Presidency, and the rules that govern how Congress does its work, THE CONTEMPORARY CONGRESS offers students a brief but comprehensive view into how and why Congress functions. The book focuses on the struggle between the centralizing and decentralizing forces in the legislative branch.