Building Washington: Engineering and Construction of the New Federal City, 1790−1840 by
The authors beautifully illustrated book chronicles the early planning and construction of our nation's capital. It shows how Washington, DC, was meant to be not only a government center but a great commercial hub for the receipt and transshipment of goods arriving through the Potomac Canal, then under construction. Picturesque plans would not be enough; the endeavor would require extensive engineering and the work of skilled builders. By studying an extensive library of original documents: from cost estimates to worker time logs to layout plans, the author has assembled a detailed account of the hurdles that complicated this massive project. While there have been many books on the architecture and planning of this iconic city, Building Washington explains the engineering and construction behind it.
Choosing the Leader: Leadership Elections in the U. S. House of Representatives by
This book is a comprehensive study in more than forty years to explain congressional leadership selection. Elections for congressional party leaders are conventionally seen as a function of either legislators' ideological preferences or factors too idiosyncratic to permit systematic analysis. Analyzing six decades' worth of information, the authors find evidence for a new comprehensive model of vote choice in House leadership elections that incorporates both legislators' goals and their connections with leadership candidates.
Congress: The First Branch by
This book is an introduction to the U.S. Congress, from seasoned political historians and teachers. In this accessible overview of the United States Congress's past and present, the authors introduce students to the country's most democratic institution. This text surveys Congressional elections, the internal structure of Congress, the legislative process, Congress and the President, and Congress and the courts.
Presidential Government by
The author’s comprehensive analysis emphasizes the historical, constitutional, and legal dimensions of presidential power. He explores the history and essential aspects of the office, the president's relationship to the rest of the executive branch and to a subordinated Congress, and the evolution of the American president from policy executor to policy maker. Compelling photo essays delve into topics of special interest, including First Spouses, Presidential Eligibility, and Congressional Investigations of the White House.
The U.S. Constitution and the Separation of Powers by
This book discusses how the constitution helps to define the separation of powers between the three branches of the government.
