Strengthening Congress

Lee H. Hamilton served Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1999 and is Director of The Center on Congress at Indiana University Bloomington. He is author of How Congress Works and Why You Should Care (IUP, 2004)

"A lively blueprint for restoring a risk-averse Congress to its rightful place in our democracy. This penetrating analysis by a pre-eminent Washington insider is a must read for anyone interested in politics and government."—Martin Tolchin, Congressional Correspondent, The New York Times"Lee Hamilton, one of this country's greatest public servants ever, has written a new book that challenges Congress to revitalize its special place in the American constitutional system and exhorts citizens to engage this institution to realize the promise of our representative democracy. Strengthening Congress is both a constructive critique of the broken branch and a compelling call to arms for politicians and citizens alike to repair it."—Thomas E. Mann, co-author of The Broken Branch"Strengthening Congress makes a clear and compelling case for why we need a strong, vibrant, and assertive Congress, where it needs change and reform, and how to provide the changes needed. . . . It is a welcome roadmap to help strengthen oversight, deliberation, ethics, and legislating inside Congress and to reform the role of loybbyists and citizens outside Congress."—Norman J. Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute"Lee Hamilton is a truly rare breed. He is a wise man who knows Congress inside out—and can still think constructively about its strengths and weaknesses. His book provides a clear and well-informed view of how the country would benefit from a stronger Congress."—Janet Hook, Los Angeles Times, Washington Bureau

• ContentsPreface1. Why We Need to Restore Power to Congress2. A Stronger Voice3. Strengthening Congressional Oversight4. Restoring the Deliberative Process5. Reducing Excessive Partisanship6. Strengthening Ethics Enforcement7. Curbing the Influence of Lobbyists8. Strengthening Citizen Participation9. A Well-Functioning CongressAppendicesHow to Judge CongressAnalyzing Congressional ArgumentsTwelve Ways to Contact Your Member of CongressMaking Your Case Effectively: Some Do's and Don'tsNotesIndex