Insecure Majorities: Congress and the Perpetual Campaign

As Democrats and Republicans continue to vie for political advantage, Congress remains paralyzed by partisan conflict. That the last two decades have seen some of the least productive Congresses in recent history is usually explained by the growing ideological gulf between the parties, but this explanation misses another fundamental factor influencing the dynamic. In contrast to politics through most of the twentieth century, the contemporary Democratic and Republican parties compete for control of Congress at relative parity, and this has dramatically changed the parties’ incentives and strategies in ways that have driven the contentious partisanship characteristic of contemporary American politics. With Insecure Majorities, Frances E. Lee offers a controversial new perspective on the rise of congressional party conflict, showing how the shift in competitive circumstances has had a profound impact on how Democrats and Republicans interact. For nearly half a century, Democrats were the majority party, usually maintaining control of the presidency, the House, and the Senate. Republicans did not stand much chance of winning majority status, and Democrats could not conceive of losing it. Under such uncompetitive conditions, scant collective action was exerted by either party toward building or preserving a majority. Beginning in the 1980s, that changed, and most elections since have offered the prospect of a change of party control. Lee shows, through an impressive range of interviews and analysis, how competition for control of the government drives members of both parties to participate in actions that promote their own party’s image and undercut that of the opposition, including the perpetual hunt for issues that can score political points by putting the opposing party on the wrong side of public opinion. More often than not, this strategy stands in the way of productive bipartisan cooperation—and it is also unlikely to change as long as control of the government remains within reach for both parties.

Politics & Social Sciences

Lee, Frances E.

Politics & Government

University of Chicago Press

Sizing Up the Senate: The Unequal Consequences of Equal Representation

We take it for granted that every state has two representatives in the United States Senate. Apply the "one person, one vote" standard, however, and the Senate is the most malapportioned legislature in the democratic world.But does it matter that California's 32 million people have the same number of Senate votes as Wyoming's 480,000? Frances Lee and Bruce Oppenheimer systematically show that the Senate's unique apportionment scheme profoundly shapes legislation and representation. The size of a state's population affects the senator-constituent relationship, fund-raising and elections, strategic behavior within the Senate, and, ultimately, policy decisions. They also show that less populous states consistently receive more federal funding than states with more people. In sum, Lee and Oppenheimer reveal that Senate apportionment leaves no aspect of the institution untouched.This groundbreaking book raises new questions about one of the key institutions of American government and will interest anyone concerned with issues of representation.

OPPENHEIMER, BRUCE I.

We take it for granted that every state has two representatives in the United States Senate. Apply the "one person, one vote" standard, however, and the Senate is the most malapportioned legislature in the democratic world. But does it matter that California's 32 million people have the same number of Senate votes as Wyoming's 480,000? Frances Lee and Bruce Oppenheimer systematically show that the Senate's unique apportionment scheme profoundly shapes legislation and representation. The size of a state's population affects the senator-constituent relationship, fund-raising and elections, strategic behavior within the Senate, and, ultimately, policy decisions. They also show that less populous states consistently receive more federal funding than states with more people. In sum, Lee and Oppenheimer reveal that Senate apportionment leaves no aspect of the institution untouched. This groundbreaking book raises new questions about one of the key institutions of American government and will interest anyone concerned with issues of representation.

The congressional agenda, Frances Lee contends, includes many issues about which liberals and conservatives generally agree. Even over these matters, though, Democratic and Republican senators tend to fight with each other. What explains this discord? Beyond Ideology argues that many partisan battles are rooted in competition for power rather than disagreement over the rightful role of government. 
The first book to systematically distinguish Senate disputes centering on ideological questions from the large proportion of them that do not, this volume foregrounds the role of power struggle in partisan conflict. Presidential leadership, for example, inherently polarizes legislators who can influence public opinion of the president and his party by how they handle his agenda. Senators also exploit good government measures and floor debate to embarrass opponents and burnish their own party’s image—even when the issues involved are broadly supported or low-stakes. Moreover, Lee contends, the congressional agenda itself amplifies conflict by increasingly focusing on issues that reliably differentiate the parties. With the new president pledging to stem the tide of partisan polarization, Beyond Ideology provides a timely taxonomy of exactly what stands in his way.

Beyond Ideology: Politics, Principles, and Partisanship in the U. S. Senate

The congressional agenda, Frances Lee contends, includes many issues about which liberals and conservatives generally agree. Even over these matters, though, Democratic and Republican senators tend to fight with each other. What explains this discord? Beyond Ideology argues that many partisan battles are rooted in competition for power rather than disagreement over the rightful role of government. The first book to systematically distinguish Senate disputes centering on ideological questions from the large proportion of them that do not, this volume foregrounds the role of power struggle in partisan conflict. Presidential leadership, for example, inherently polarizes legislators who can influence public opinion of the president and his party by how they handle his agenda. Senators also exploit good government measures and floor debate to embarrass opponents and burnish their own party’s image—even when the issues involved are broadly supported or low-stakes. Moreover, Lee contends, the congressional agenda itself amplifies conflict by increasingly focusing on issues that reliably differentiate the parties. With the new president pledging to stem the tide of partisan polarization, Beyond Ideology provides a timely taxonomy of exactly what stands in his way.

The Limits of Party: Congress and Lawmaking in a Polarized Era (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

To many observers, Congress has become a deeply partisan institution where ideologically-distinct political parties do little more than engage in legislative trench warfare. A zero-sum, winner-take-all approach to congressional politics has replaced the bipartisan comity of past eras. If the parties cannot get everything they want in national policymaking, then they prefer gridlock and stalemate to compromise. Or, at least, that is the conventional wisdom. In The Limits of Party, James M. Curry and Frances E. Lee challenge this conventional wisdom. By constructing legislative histories of congressional majority parties' attempts to enact their policy agendas in every congress since the 1980s and by drawing on interviews with Washington insiders, the authors analyze the successes and failures of congressional parties to enact their legislative agendas. &#8203; Their conclusions will surprise many congressional observers: Even in our time of intense party polarization, bipartisanship remains the key to legislative success on Capitol Hill. Congressional majority parties today are neither more nor less successful at enacting their partisan agendas. They are not more likely to ram though partisan laws or become mired in stalemate. Rather, the parties continue to build bipartisan coalitions for their legislative priorities and typically compromise on their original visions for legislation in order to achieve legislative success.

Curry, James M.

Click here to preview chapter 1.
Davidson, Oleszek, and Lee’s focus on Congress as both a legislative institution and as a group of reelection-minded politicians has proven to be an extraordinarily effective and accessible way for thousands of students to understand the institution and the law-making process. A proven classic, the twelfth edition of Congress and Its Members features careful revising, new scholarship, and crucial updating. 
From edition to edition, the updates you can always rely on feature coverage of:
<ul>
<li>the 2008 elections </li>
<li>the agenda of the new Congress </li>
<li>White House–Capitol Hill relationships </li>
<li>party and committee leadership changes </li>
<li>judicial appointments</li>
<li>campaign finance </li>
<li>reapportionment </li>
<li>the future of partisan polarization </li>
<li>rules changes and procedural shifts</li>
</ul>
And revisions that explore the historic and significant changes since the last edition include: 
<ul>
<li>How will Congress deal with the economic crisis and financial meltdown, along with two foreign wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? </li>
<li>How will Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid―with consolidated majorities in the House and Senate―work with the Obama administration?</li>
<li>How will Congress confront the "midnight regulations" of the Bush administration?</li>
<li>What is the role of conference committees for reconciling bicameral disagreements? </li>
<li>Do the 2008 congressional elections signify a partisan realignment, or simply a continuing trend? </li>
<li>Do new developments in campaign funding, strategies, and techniques tell us something new, or do they mainly repeat past trends? </li>
<li>Has Bush’s "imperial presidency" become a precedent for future inter-branch working arrangements? How effectively can Congress strive to regain its powers and prerogatives?</li>
</ul>

Congress and Its Members

Davidson, Roger H.

Oleszek, Walter J.

CQ Press

Congress and Its Members&nbsp;offers comprehensive coverage of the U.S. Congress and the legislative process by examining the tension between Congress as a lawmaking institution and as a collection of politicians constantly seeking&nbsp;re-election. The&nbsp;highly anticipated&nbsp;Eighteenth Edition&nbsp;considers the 2020 elections, the final years of the Trump administration, and first 100 days of the Biden Administration while discussing the agenda of the new Congress, White House-Capitol Hill relations, party and committee leadership changes, judicial appointments, and partisan polarization, in addition to covering changes to budgeting, campaign finance, lobbying, public attitudes about Congress, reapportionment, rules, and procedures. Always balancing great scholarship with currency, this bestseller features lively case material along with relevant data, charts, exhibits, maps, and photos.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Schickler, Eric

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Lee, Frances E.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Lee, Frances E.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Lee, Frances E.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Insecure Majorities: Congress and the Perpetual Campaign

Insecure Majorities: Congress and the Perpetual Campaign

Sizing Up the Senate: The Unequal Consequences of Equal Representation

Sizing Up the Senate: The Unequal Consequences of Equal Representation

Beyond Ideology: Politics, Principles, and Partisanship in the U. S. Senate

Beyond Ideology: Politics, Principles, and Partisanship in the U. S. Senate

The Limits of Party: Congress and Lawmaking in a Polarized Era (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

The Limits of Party: Congress and Lawmaking in a Polarized Era (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

Congress and Its Members

Congress and Its Members