Unorthodox Lawmaking
New Legislative Processes in the U.S. Congress
- Barbara Sinclair - University of California, Los Angeles, USA
—Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College
Most major measures wind their way through the contemporary Congress in what Barbara Sinclair has dubbed “unorthodox lawmaking.” In this much-anticipated Fifth Edition of Unorthodox Lawmaking, Sinclair explores the full range of special procedures and processes that make up Congress’s work, as well as the reasons these unconventional routes evolved. The author introduces students to the intricacies of Congress and provides the tools to assess the relative successes and limitations of the legislative process.
This dramatically revised Fifth Edition incorporates a wealth of new cases and examples to illustrate the changes occurring in congressional process. Two entirely new case study chapters highlight Sinclair’s fresh analysis and the book is now introduced by a new foreword from noted scholar and teacher, Bruce I. Oppenheimer, reflecting on this book and Barbara Sinclair’s significant mark on the study of Congress.
“Unorthodox Lawmaking does an excellent job of synthesizing the legislative process in each chamber. I have not found another book on the market that so clearly addresses the differences like this one does.”
“Unorthodox Lawmaking is a superb foundational text, exploring well-researched variations in lawmaking in ways that are not typically found in other academic resources. It is one of the best examinations of legislative practices available the academic market. Sinclair uses robust research to uncover and analyze the complexities of lawmaking in comprehensible ways. This text is a go-to resource for information about U.S. legislative practices.”
“Barbara Sinclair does an excellent job of showing how contemporary lawmaking departs from the traditional legislative process. I can't imagine teaching a course on Congress without this text—it’s absolutely indispensable.”
“Unorthodox Lawmaking does a great job of using contemporary examples to provide an in-depth look at the complicated and highly politicized process that defines how a bill becomes a law in modern Congress.”
“Unorthodox Lawmaking puts the transformation of the lawmaking process in Congress into context, documenting specific changes that have occurred and providing an argument for precisely why they took place. Sinclair illustrates the use of these new techniques in a way that keeps students interested.”
“Unorthodox Lawmaking is a great read, with a strong foundation about Congress as an institution. Sinclair strikes a balance between general statements and nuance, and demonstrates how complicated the policy process has become. Yet she doesn't leave the reader without some general take-away points about how the process deviates from traditional textbook explanations.”
“My students have enjoyed reading Unorthodox Lawmaking more than most of the other assigned texts. Sinclair’s writing makes the material approachable and helps precipitate lively discussions.”
“The concept and content of Unorthodox Lawmaking from the very beginning is well done. Sinclair’s use of case studies to illustrate the shift from ‘traditional’ to ‘unorthodox’ processes is impressive.”
“Unorthodox Lawmaking is straightforward and to-the-point. Sinclair does an excellent job of covering the primary topics, and the examples of unorthodox lawmaking are equally as good. I have used this text myself since reading the second edition.”
