Insecure Majorities

Congress and the Perpetual Campaign

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Elections
Cover of the book Insecure Majorities by Frances E. Lee, University of Chicago Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Frances E. Lee ISBN: 9780226409184
Publisher: University of Chicago Press Publication: August 23, 2016
Imprint: University of Chicago Press Language: English
Author: Frances E. Lee
ISBN: 9780226409184
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Publication: August 23, 2016
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Language: English

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.
 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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.
 

More books from University of Chicago Press

Cover of the book Stateville by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Nollywood by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Days of Awe by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Police by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Economics of Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, Volume II by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book God Without Being by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book The Restoration of the Self by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Shylock on Trial by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Theodore Roosevelt in the Field by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Trade-Offs by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book The Federal Impeachment Process by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Disturbing Practices by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Young Men and Fire by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Courts by Frances E. Lee
Cover of the book Kinaesthetic Knowing by Frances E. Lee
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy