ORGANIZATION OF THE CONGRESS

POLICY ANALYSIS AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE SYSTEM
Historical Overview
The Legislative Reogranization Act of 1946
The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970
House Committee Reform Efforts
Senate Committee Reform Efforts
The Current Committee System
Numbers, Sizes, and Ratios
Assignments
Jurisdiction
Referrals
Ad Hoc Mechanisms
Procedures
Summary of Hearings on Committee Structure
Reductions in Committee Sizes
Limitations on Committee and Subcommittee Assignments
Jurisdictional Realignment
Multiple Referrals
Committee Procedures
Oversight Function
Other Topics
HOUSE FLOOR PROCEDURES
Procedural Development
Origins
Partisanship and Centralization
Decentralization and its Sequels
Reorganization in the Modern Congress
Reorganization Acts
Subsequent Efforts
Recent Developments
Coordination and Control
Controlling Time
Member Resources
The Current Floor Environment
Summary of Hearings on House Floor Procedures
Role of the Majority and the Minority
Debate
Scheduling
Miscellaneous Rules Changes
SENATE FLOOR PROCEDURES
Origins
Increasing Restrictions
Establishment of the Cloture Rule
Reorganization in the Modern Congress
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970
Subsequent Efforts
Recent Developments in the Senate
Debate and Cloture
Time Agreements
Informal Practices
Summary of Hearings on Senate Floor Procedures
Efficiency
Filibusters and Cloture
Holds
Scheduling
Other Rules Changes
CONGRESSIONAL STAFF AND MANAGEMENT
Historical Overview
Committee Staffs
Personal Staffs
Administration of the House and Senate
Congressional Support Agencies
The Current Staffing and Administrative Environment
The Working Environment of Congressional Staff
Summary of Hearings on Congressional Staff and Management
Congressional Staff Reductions
Majority/Minority Allocation of Staff Positions
Other Staffing Issues
Overall Administration of Capitol Hill Operations
Support Agencies
EVOLUTION OF THE BUDGET PROCESS
Federal Budgeting Prior to 1921
Executive Budget Movement and the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921
Congressional Budgeting, 1921-1974
The Congressional Budget And Impoundment Control Act of 1974
Deficit-Focused Budget Reform
The Congressional Budget Process Today
Summary of Budget Hearings
Two-Year Budget Resolutions and Authorizations
Two-Year Appropriations
Elimination of a Layer in the Budget Process
Developing a Leadership Committee
Waiving Budget Rules
Sunset Legislation
Baseline Budgeting
Line-Item Veto
Balanced-Budget Constitutional Amendment
ENFORCEMENT OF ETHICAL STANDARDS IN CONGRESS
Sources of Authority and Power of Self-Discipline
Constitutional History
Internal Ethics Enforcement Generally
Internal Ethics Enforcement in Congress
Disciplinary Actions and Internal Ethics Enforcement
Summary of Hearings on Ethics
APPLICATION OF LAWS TO CONGRESS
Congressional Exemptions and Special Rules
House of Representatives
Senate
Constitutional Implications of Excluding Congress from Federal Laws
Laws that Apply to Congress
Equal Employment Opportunity
Revolving Door
Restrictions on Outside Income
Conflict of Interest Laws
Bribery Statute
Representational Services
Practice of Law Before U.S. Claims Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit
Social Security Act
Laws that Apply to Parts of the Legislative Branch
Equal Pay Act of 1963
Laws that Do Not Apply to Congress
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act
Ethics in Government Act of 1978
Independent Counsel
Limitations on Gifts
Non-Official Activities As Agent or Attorney
Personal Gain
Honoraria and Outside Compensation
Labor and Employment Laws that have No Relevance to the Activities of Congress
Summary of Hearings on Application of Laws
Extent of Compliance
Enforcement Mechanisms
Separation of Powers
LEGISLATIVE-EXECUTIVE RELATIONS
Legislative-Executive Relations in General
Congressional Oversight of the Executive
Intra-Branch Unity or Division
"Imperial" Branches
Legislative Reorganizations and Reform Efforts
Congressional Oversight
Congressional Precedents and Powers
Reporting Requirements
Number of Reports
Types of Reports
Inspector General Reporting
Covert Action Reporting
Special Investigations
Other Authority, Duties, and Resources
Establishment of the General Accounting Office
Legislative Reorganization Act (LRA) of 1946
Legislative Reorganization Act (LRA) of 1970
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended
Congressional Rules
Amount of Oversight
Reasons for Recent Growth in and Relatively Large Amounts of Oversight
Summary of Hearings on Legislative-Executive Relations
Summary of Hearings on Congressional Oversight
CONGRESS AND THE COURTS
Congress Versus the Courts
The Courts Versus Congress

Constitutional Adjudication
Statutory Interpretation
Presumptions in Statutory Interpretation
Summary of Hearings on Legislative-Judicial Relations
INFORMATION RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY IN CONGRESS
Overview of Current Congressional Information Systems
House Information Systems (H.I.S.)
Senate Computer Center
Use of Information Systems in the Two Chambers
The Architect of the Capitol
The Support Agencies
Previous Reform Efforts Addressing Information Needs
A Comprehensive Look at Technology Use in the Legislative Branch
State Legislatures
Committee Scheduling
Monitoring Floor Activity
Video Teleconferencing
Disaster Plan
Financial Management
Recommendations
Coordination of Legislative Informatrion
Availability of Legislative Information
Public Access to Legislative Information
ENHANCING PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING
Historical Overview
Public Access
Public Attitudes
Current Means of Congressional Communications
Through the Media
Direct Congressional Communications With the Public
Reaching Future Generations
BICAMERAL RELATIONS AND INTERCHAMBER COOPERATION
The Constitutional Background
Bicameralism in the Nineteenth Century
Joint House-Senate Rules
Bicameralism in the Early Twentieth Century
Efforts at Bicameral Reform
Administrative Reforms
Legislative Organization Reforms
Procedural Reforms: Conference Committees
Current Issues in Bicameralism
Size and Composition of Conference Committees
Informal Methods of Bicameral Coordination