Congress

Andrew J. Taylor is professor of political science in the School of Public and International Affairs at NC State University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut and teaches courses in American politics. He is a recipient of Dirksen Congressional centre research awards and provides political commentary for a number of local media outlets. In 1999-2000 he was the American Political Science Association's Steiger Congressional Fellow. Dr. Taylor has published in many journals including the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Political Research Quarterly, and American Politics Research and is the author of the books, Elephant's Edge: The Republicans as a Ruling Party and The Floor in Congressional Life.

"In contrast to pundits who brashly condemn or blindly defend Congress, Andrew Taylor identifies normative but realistic aspirations for Congress and devises benchmarks against which to judge it. The result is an impressive and creative volume that will force readers to reconsider how they evaluate Congress. Written with both historical sweep and contemporary nuance, this book should be required reading for anyone who cares about the future of Congress." -Sarah Binder, George Washington University and The Brookings Institution "Andrew J. Taylor provides an insightful and fair-minded assessment of today's Congress. By establishing a set of well-reasoned benchmarks, he illuminates both what Congress does right and how it might be reformed." -Eric Schickler, University of California, Berkeley

• 1. The Much Maligned Legislative Branch 2. What We Should Want of Congress 3. Do We Have a Robust RepresentativeDemocracy? 4. Is Congress a Transparent, Accessible, and Trustworthy Legislature? 5. Does Congress Have Desirable Principles of Organization? 6. Does Congress Have a Healthy Legislative Process? 7. Does Congress Make Effective Policy? 8. Does Congress Carry Out Vigorous Checking and Balancing? 9. Appraising Congress