Investigating the President

Congressional Checks on Presidential Power

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Public Policy
Cover of the book Investigating the President by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner ISBN: 9781400883639
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: August 23, 2016
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
ISBN: 9781400883639
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: August 23, 2016
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

Although congressional investigations have provided some of the most dramatic moments in American political history, they have often been dismissed as mere political theater. But these investigations are far more than grandstanding. Investigating the President shows that congressional investigations are a powerful tool for members of Congress to counter presidential aggrandizement. By shining a light on alleged executive wrongdoing, investigations can exert significant pressure on the president and materially affect policy outcomes.

Douglas Kriner and Eric Schickler construct the most comprehensive overview of congressional investigative oversight to date, analyzing nearly thirteen thousand days of hearings, spanning more than a century, from 1898 through 2014. The authors examine the forces driving investigative power over time and across chambers, identify how hearings might influence the president's strategic calculations through the erosion of the president’s public approval rating, and uncover the pathways through which investigations have shaped public policy. Put simply, by bringing significant political pressure to bear on the president, investigations often afford Congress a blunt, but effective check on presidential power—without the need to worry about veto threats or other hurdles such as Senate filibusters.

In an era of intense partisan polarization and institutional dysfunction, Investigating the President delves into the dynamics of congressional investigations and how Congress leverages this tool to counterbalance presidential power.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Although congressional investigations have provided some of the most dramatic moments in American political history, they have often been dismissed as mere political theater. But these investigations are far more than grandstanding. Investigating the President shows that congressional investigations are a powerful tool for members of Congress to counter presidential aggrandizement. By shining a light on alleged executive wrongdoing, investigations can exert significant pressure on the president and materially affect policy outcomes.

Douglas Kriner and Eric Schickler construct the most comprehensive overview of congressional investigative oversight to date, analyzing nearly thirteen thousand days of hearings, spanning more than a century, from 1898 through 2014. The authors examine the forces driving investigative power over time and across chambers, identify how hearings might influence the president's strategic calculations through the erosion of the president’s public approval rating, and uncover the pathways through which investigations have shaped public policy. Put simply, by bringing significant political pressure to bear on the president, investigations often afford Congress a blunt, but effective check on presidential power—without the need to worry about veto threats or other hurdles such as Senate filibusters.

In an era of intense partisan polarization and institutional dysfunction, Investigating the President delves into the dynamics of congressional investigations and how Congress leverages this tool to counterbalance presidential power.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book The Other Invisible Hand by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book Mute Poetry, Speaking Pictures by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book Why Nationalism by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book Ant Encounters by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book Nietzsche's Political Skepticism by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book Aboutness by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book Mathematical Knowledge and the Interplay of Practices by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book The Makings of Indonesian Islam by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book Female Acts in Greek Tragedy by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book A Concise History of Solar and Stellar Physics by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book On War and Democracy by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book Selling Our Souls by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book Noir Urbanisms by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book One Nation Undecided by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
Cover of the book Legal Accents, Legal Borrowing by Eric Schickler, Douglas L. Kriner
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy