A comprehensive analysis of congressional action in 2006

New and Improved with original articles and reports - CQ Almanac Plus is a one-of-a kind source for an in-depth look and explanation of the first session of the 108th Congress. CQ Almanac Plus provides a detailed look at each major bill considered in 2002 - whether or not it became law. Plus, useful data-filled appendixes include: Key Votes, Vote Studies, Roll Call Votes, Public Laws, A look at Congress and Its Members, Texts, Election Results.

The CQ Almanac offers: Legislative Profiles: a detailed look at each major piece of legislation that lawmakers considered during the session - regardless of whether it became law. Key Votes: In-depth analysis of votes chosen by CQ editors as the most critical in determining the outcome of congressional action on major issues. Vote Studies: CQ's analysis of the roll call votes cast in Congress, including a close study of the level of presidential support, party unity and member participation during the year. Roll Call Votes: Easy-to-read vote tables including each member's vote on every bill that received a roll call vote. Public Laws: A chronicle of bills enacted into law during the year, including a brief history of the bill, sponsoring party, date of passage and presidential signature. This critical data is indexed so you can easily find the information of import to you.

This reference puts the full year of Congress and national politics into historical perspective. The text covers the actions, votes and other acts of the first session of the 107th Congress

109th Congress -- 2nd Session...2006.

During the height of the civil rights movement, Blacks were among the most liberal Americans. Since the 1970s, however, increasing representation in national, state, and local government has brought about a more centrist outlook among Black political leaders. Focusing on the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Katherine Tate studies the ways in which the nation’s most prominent group of Black legislators has developed politically. Organized in 1971, the CBC set out to increase the influence of Black legislators. Indeed, over the past four decades, they have made progress toward the goal of becoming recognized players within Congress. And yet, Tate argues, their incorporation is transforming their policy preferences. Since the Clinton Administration, CBC members—the majority of whom are Democrats—have been less willing to oppose openly congressional party leaders and both Republican and Democratic presidents. Tate documents this transformation with a statistical analysis of Black roll-call votes, using the important Poole-Rosenthal scores from 1977 to 2010. While growing partisanship has affected Congress as a whole, not just minority caucuses, Tate warns that incorporation may mute the independent voice of Black political leaders.

Switching parties is arguably the most important decision a politician will ever make. This book is the first-ever systematic study of the causes and consequences of legislative party switching in the United States. The author argues that re-election alone does not explain party switching. He proposes an ambition-based theory that accounts for multiple goals (including higher office aspirations and the desire for influence in the legislature) with a focus on the electoral costs and the institutional benefits of the decision. The book combines the statistical analysis of electoral data and legislative careers in the US Congress and state legislatures with elite interviews of party switchers, non-switchers, and a party leader. The case study of a party switcher's decision in 'real time' documents the complexity of the decision in a politician's own words prior to and following the switch. The book raises important questions regarding the meaning of a party label.