The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)

Hogan analyzes the Panama Canal de­bate, one of the most emotionally charged issues to divide American opin­ion in this century. Hogan first provides background for his detailed analysis of the historic debate between the Carter administration and the New Right. Preparing the reader for that confrontation and the senate debate that followed, he examines the heritage of political controversy surrounding the Panama Canal, particularly the impact of that controversy on the evolution of U.S. policy throughout the 20th century. He documents the canal's mythic status in American politics--its transformation from a symbol of America's rise to world leadership to a symbol, for many, of American colonialism and imperialism. Hogan's analysis covers the substance of the debate over Panama in both the mass media and in the senate. Without becoming an advocate for either side, he analyzes both the protreaty campaign by the Carter administration and the coun­terattack by the New Right.