Davidson, Oleszek, and Lee¿s focus on Congress as both a legislative institution and as a group of reelection-minded politicians has proven to be an extraordinarily effective and accessible way for thousands of students to understand the institution and the law-making process. A proven classic, the twelfth edition of Congress and Its Members features careful revising, new scholarship, and crucial updating. From edition to edition, the updates you can always rely on feature coverage of: * the 2008 elections * the agenda of the new Congress * White House¿Capitol Hill relationships * party and committee leadership changes * judicial appointments * campaign finance * reapportionment * the future of partisan polarization * rules changes and procedural shifts And revisions that explore the historic and significant changes since the last edition include: * How will Congress deal with the economic crisis and financial meltdown, along with two foreign wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? * How will Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid¿with consolidated majorities in the House and Senate¿work with the Obama administration? * How will Congress confront the ¿midnight regulations¿ of the Bush administration? * What is the role of conference committees for reconciling bicameral disagreements? * Do the 2008 congressional elections signify a partisan realignment, or simply a continuing trend? * Do new developments in campaign funding, strategies, and techniques tell us something new, or do they mainly repeat past trends? * Has Bush¿s ¿imperial presidency¿ become a precedent for future inter-branch working arrangements? How effectively can Congress strive to regain its powers and prerogatives?