Polarized Congress

Charles Tiefer is professor of legislation at the University of Baltimore Law School, and the author of five books including the only treatise on Congressional procedure, Congressional Practice and Procedure (1989). As General Counsel (Acting) of the U.S. House of Representatives during 1984 to 1995, he represented Congress in court and led numerous Congressional investigations. In 2008-2011 he served on the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is a regular contributor to Forbes.com. He often discusses Congressional procedure in print and broadcast media.

• Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 Introduction and OverviewChapter 2 Bicameral Agreement: Conferences and Ping-PongingChapter 3 Running the Polarized House: Polarization, the Hastert Rule, and the Fettered Floor Chapter 4 Trying to Work with the Polarized SenateChapter 5 Cloture in the Often-Blocked Senate Chapter 6 The Budget Process Serving Polarized ChambersChapter 7 Appropriations Chapter 8 Change Bibliography Index

Professor Tiefer has provided the reader with a fascinating and insightful discussion of what passes for the “new normal” on Capitol Hill.