The New Era Of Congressonal Policy Making

A Reflection Paper On The New Era of Congressional Policy Making         The essay entitled "The New Era of Congressional Policy Making," was written by Walter J. Oleszek as a means to promote his views and thoughts on the future of congressional politics. Oleszek states that there is little question that change is the order of the day in national governance. He also states that after forty straight years as the "permanent minority" in the House of Representatives, the GOP won control of that chamber and reclaimed control of the Senate as well further strengthening his point that change is inevitable. Also, because of this the focus shifted to topics pertinent to what Republicans campaigned on. Oleszek furthers his point by predicting and stating that the decade of the 1990's will be a difficult period for lawmakers, both chambers of Congress, and for legislative"“executive relations because of innovations and changes in procedure and unconventional lawmaking.

For example, the uses of a variety of formal and informal legislative devices to mold, create, and change public policies. The utilization of unconventional methods rather than the traditional committee system highlight the flexibility and adaptability of Congress's decision-making policies. New congresses, mew lawmakers, new electoral circumstances, and new agendas are among the many interconnected forces that generate new and innovative forms of policy making.

        Oleszek's primary and main objective in this essay is stress the importance of change in Congress and to make the reader understand the how the political scope and environment affects the House, Senate, and executive branch politics and priorities. Oleszek divides his essay into three sections, which discuss the three contemporary developments that in his opinion are likely to endure into the next century, and how each affects how Congress makes decisions. Those three contemporary developments are national agenda changes, flux...