Post-passage politics

"Megabills" that package scores of legislative proposals into House and Senate bills are a phenomenon of the congressional reforms of the 1970s and the agenda changes of the 1980s. These bills generate unprecedented disagreements between the House and Senate, requiring congressional leaders, the president, committee chairs, and junior members to play new roles in this struggle for resolution.

Van Beek uses a case-study approach that investigates the legislative histories of recent bills on the savings and loan bailout, the major trade bill of the late 1980s, and several budget reconciliation bills. His research is brought to life through personal experience as a legislative aide, direct observation of Congress at work, and interviews with members, staff, and lobbyists.

Post-Passage Politics is a significant contribution to congressional studies. Readers will come to understand how important the resolution stage is for shaping behavior at the committee and floor stages in the House and Senate. The case studies and descriptions of the politics of bicameral resolution will interest students of Congress, the presidency, and public policy.