Research Project: Conducting Research
Article #1
Article Title and Author:
The Conflict between Executive Privilege and Congressional Oversight: The Gorsuch Controversy by Ronald L. Claveloux
Question 1: what is the specific TOPIC of this article?
The Conflict between Executive Privilege and Congressional Oversight: The Gorsuch Controversy
Question 2: What is/are the research questions the author(s) examine?
● What was the Congressional right to information’s competing claims and the Executive’s need for secrecy considering the Gorsuch dispute?
Question 3: To what broader body of scholarship or subfield of political science does this article contribute? What, in other words, is the relevance of the study?
American Politics entails studying two national institutions, Congress and the Executive, precisely their political behavior.
Question 4: what argument does the author make? This is the answer to the research question!
Congress cites contempt as the main reason for the clash between the congressional right in inquiring into the operation of the laws, and the request of secrecy accorded t Executive for the intradepartmental communications..the Executive has stated a need for confidentiality in executive communications, which is also implied via the separation of powers doctrine. Notably, the author says that neither congressional oversight nor executive secrecy is absolute, and hence the two doctrines should be expected to clash.
Question 5: What methods or techniques did the author/s use to gather the evidence needed to formulate their argument? Are there particular theories they draw on to help them develop an argument?
The qualitative case study approach was incorporated in this research. The author develops his argument based on the Gorsuch dispute that involved the Environmental Protection Agency and an inquiry from the House of Representatives Subcommittee. This case would be studied to determine the rights of the two bodies in more detail, their claims, and bringing in landmark cases related to the dispute hence getting essential information to develop its arguments.
Article #2:
Article Title and Author: Why Executive-Legislative Conflict in the United States is Dwindling by Paul E. Peterson and Jay P. Greene
Question 1: what is the specific TOPIC of this article?
Why Executive-Legislative Conflict in the United States is Dwindling
Question 2: what is/are the research questions the author(s) examine?
● What factors Explain the conflict between the Executive and the legislative
● Why is the conflict between the Executive and legislative dwindling?
Question 3: To what broader body of scholarship or subfield of political science does this article contribute? What, in other words, is the relevance of the study?
American Politics considering it is an analysis of the conflicting relationship between the Executive and the Legislative. The argument made in this study is relevant to the American Politics subfield.
Question 4: What argument does the author make? This is the answer to the research question!
● The author states that the Executive and the Legislative conflict arises from issues with both national and distributive significance. Specifically, the partisan basis for the conflict that has been long established within the House and increasingly visible in the Senate has been reinforced by the competitive political interests.
● Notably, the conflict has reduced due to the increase of partisanship within American politics while distributive politics dissipate.
Question 5: What methods or techniques did the author/s use to gather the evidence needed to formulate their argument? Are there particular theories they draw on to help them develop an argument?
A random sample was selected in the public interactions between the Executive and the Legislative within the Congressional committee in the years between 1947 to 1990. The selected interactions were examined and coded in terms of the degree of conflict displayed during the executive branch witnesses’ questioning process before the committees. Coding the questions and answers reported in the hearing would effectively study the interbranch conflict and be sources of information on the Congressional behavior on the topics and witnesses before them.
Article #3:
Article Title and Author: Executive Privilege: A Legislative Remedy by Emily Berman
Question 1: what is the specific TOPIC of this article?
Executive Privilege: A Legislative Remedy
Question 2: what is/are the research questions the author(s) examine?
Is there a long-term solution to the periodic flaring up of Executive privilege whenever high-profile disputes arise within the political radar?
Question 3: To what broader body of scholarship or subfield of political science does this article contribute? What, in other words, is the relevance of the study?
Public Policy considering it is an exploration of the substantive Executive Privilege matter linked to American politics due to it being connected to the Executive Branch.
Question 4: what argument does the author make? This is the answer to the research question!
The author indicates that a remedy that will better deal with executive privilege disputes helps restore checks and balances and strengthen the country’s democracy. The author proposed the “Executive Privilege Codification Act,” a statute that provides strategies to handle the respective problems. It comprises respective standards, a reinvigoration of the position of Congress to the Executive, and secures the judiciary’s role as the final arbiter to the executive privilege disputes when the need arises.
Question 5: What methods or techniques did the author/s use to gather the evidence needed to formulate their argument? Theories they draw on to help them develop an argument?
The author incorporates the conceptual framework technique to get a comprehensive understanding of Executive privilege and its role in high-ranking disputes. The framework ensured that the author could visually explain various elements, including the right of Congress to Information, the Executive’s interests in confidentiality, and the challenges within the present system to resolve the executive privilege disputes.
Article #4:
Article Title and Author: The Executive’s Privilege By Jonathan David Shaub
Question 1: what is the specific TOPIC of this article? The Executive’s Privilege
Question 2: what is/are the research questions the author(s) examine?
● How has the Executive privilege doctrine evolution left Congress in a virtually important position to enforce its oversight authority.
● How has the Executive privilege doctrine’s implementation led to the new “prophylactic” executive privilege that has greatly relinquished the situational, fact-specific balancing of Congressional interests that historically defined Executive privilege?
Question 3: To what broader body of scholarship or subfield of political science does this article contribute? What, in other words, is the relevance of the study?
The article is relevant to the American politics subfield for looking into the Executive Privilege doctrine and its relationship to Congress, which relate to the fundamental national institutions.
Question 4: what argument does the author make? This is the answer to the research question!
● The author states that the doctrine of Executive privilege within the Congressional oversight context remains not an affirmative constitutional authority founded on particular types of information but the limited presidential immunity from compelled Congressional processes. The two elements, Congressional oversight Authority and Executive Privilege are identified as the implied constitutional authorities. Still, it is also essential to infer a limit, especially in presidential immunity for the Executive Privilege. This is in line with the initial principles of constitutional interpretation, the country’s history and is more conducive to a proper balance of power between the two branches.
● Understanding the doctrine as limited immunity and severing it from the undifferentiated confidentiality interests and broad categories of information within which the Executive Branch has conflated it, it will eliminate the prophylactic doctrines depended upon by the Executive branch to obstruct the legitimate Congressional Oversight/
Question 5: what methods or techniques did the author/s use to gather the evidence needed to formulate their argument? Are there particular theories they draw on to help them develop an argument?
Content analysis is primarily the research technique adopted that was replicable and valid inferences from the study’s context. This is an essential building block within the conceptual analysis of qualitative data.
Article #5:
Article Title and Author: Congress’s Contempt Power and the Enforcement of Congressional Subpoenas: Law, History, Practice, and Procedure by Todd Garvey
Question 1: what is the specific TOPIC of this article? Congress’s Contempt Power and the Enforcement of Congressional Subpoenas: Law, History, Practice, and Procedure
Question 2: what is/are the research questions the author(s) examine?
● What is the source, historical development, the statutory and common law basis of the Congress’ Contempt Power?
● What are the procedures associated with inherent contempt, criminal contempt, and the civil enforcement of subpoenas?
Question 3: To what broader body of scholarship or subfield of political science does this article contribute? What, in other words, is the relevance of the study?
American politics as the study is concerned studying the country’s politics and Congress, its national institution.
Question 4: what argument does the author make? This is the answer to the research question!
Congress’s contempt power is how Congress responds to particular acts that, in its perception, is obstructing legislative power. This constitutionally invested power could follow either of the three formal methods to combat non-compliance with a duly issued subpoena. The enforcement of subpoenas does face several obstacles, but the Courts have reaffirmed its constitutional authority and enforce them.
Question 5: what methods or techniques did the author/s use to gather the evidence needed to formulate their argument? Are there particular theories they draw on to help them develop an argument?
Content analysis is primarily the research technique adopted that was replicable and valid inferences from the study’s context. This is an important building block within the conceptual analysis of qualitative data.
