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Congress and the Politics of National Security

by David P. Auerswald (Editor), Colton C. Campbell (Editor)
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In an increasingly complex and unpredictable world, a growing number of observers and practitioners have called for a reexamination of our national security system. Central to any such reform effort is an evaluation of Congress. Is Congress adequately organized to deal with national security issues in an integrated and coordinated manner? How have developments in Congress over the past few decades, such as heightened partisanship, message politics, party–committee relationships, and bicameral relations, affected topical security issues? This volume examines variation in the ways Congress has engaged federal agencies overseeing our nation's national security as well as various domestic political determinants of security policy.
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  1. ISBN-10
    1107006864
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1107006867
  3. Publisher
    Cambridge University Press
  4. Publication date
    December 19, 2011
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    6.25 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
  7. Print length
    282 pages
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Book Description

This volume examines variation in the ways Congress has engaged federal agencies overseeing our nation's national security.

About the Author

David P. Auerswald is Professor of Security Studies at the National War College. Before coming to the National War College, he was an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University, Washington DC; served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff, working for then-Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware; and was a staff assistant for US Senator Timothy Wirth of Colorado. He has spent time working on the congressional reform team of the Project on National Security Reform, the US Central Command's 2008–9 Assessment Team and the 2008 'Alternative Futures' project for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He is the author and co-author of Disarmed Democracies: Domestic Institutions and the Use of Force (2000) and The Kosovo Conflict: A Diplomatic History Through Documents (2000).

Colton C. Campbell is Professor of National Security Strategy at the National War College. Prior to joining the National War College, he was a Legislative Aide to US Representative Mike Thompson of California, where he handled Appropriations, Defense and Trade matters for the congressman. Before that, he was an Analyst in American National Government at the Congressional Research Service, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Florida International University and an APSA Congressional Fellow in the office of Senator Bob Graham of Florida. He is the author, co-author and co-editor of several books on Congress, including Discharging Congress: Government by Commission (2001) and Impeaching Clinton: Partisan Strife on Capitol Hill (2004).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press (December 19, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 282 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1107006864
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1107006867
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
4 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Marc Korman
4.0 out of 5 stars Collection on Congress
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2012
Verified Purchase
I heard about this book from author Tom Ricks' blog and gave it a read. It is a collection of essays about the first branch of government's role in national security, homeland security, foreign aid, intelligence, and some specific recent issues such as detainee policy, wiretapping and the New START treaty. It gives a nice bit of history of various Congressional efforts including what drew Ricks' attention, Congress' separate annual authorization and appropriations of defense, something most other policy areas, even in the national security context, do not have the benefit of. The essay on intelligence oversight was particularly fascinating to me as it discussed the different types of overseers: The Ostrich, basically ignoring the subject of oversight; Cheerleader, not ignoring the agency but also not providing scrutiny; The Lemon-Sucker, doing nothing but disparaging the subject of the oversight; and the Guardian, a balance equated to parenting which requires both encouragement and discipline. The analysis of intelligence oversight applies to all types of Congressional oversight. The book kicks off with a history of Congress' role in national security from the founding to 9/11. The early history involved some shifts back and forth in power between the two political branches though since World War II the initiative has weighed heavily towards the executive. Congress still plays a role of course with treaties, confirmations and oversight, but many of the essays in this book are not impressed with how Congress has performed these functions.
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