Book Description
What's happened to the longstanding traditions of civility and decorum within "the world's greatest deliberative body"? While the Senate hasn't yet become as rancorous as the House, over the past three decades it has grown noticeably less collegial. In Esteemed Colleagues leading congressional scholars address the extent to which civility has declined in the U.S. Senate, and how that decline has affected our political system. The contributors analyze the relationships between Senators, shaped by high levels of both individualism and partisanship, and how these ties shape the deliberation of issues before the chamber. Civility and deliberation have changed in recent decades, up to and including the Clinton impeachment process, and the book sheds light on both the current American politics and the broad issues of representation, responsiveness, and capacity within our governmental institutions. Contributors include Ross K. Baker (Rutgers University), Eric M. Uslaner (University of Maryland), Barbara Sinclair (UCLA), C. Lawrence Evans (College of William and Mary), Walter J. Oleszek (Congressional Research Service), Gerald Gamm (University of Rochester), Steven S. Smith (University of Minnesota), Bruce I. Oppenheimer (Vanderbilt University), Timothy E. Cook (Williams College), Roger H. Davidson (University of Maryland), Colton C. Campbell (Florida International University), Norman Ornstein (American Enterprise Institute), and James A. Thurber (American University).

About the Author
Burdett A. Loomis is professor of government and interim director of the Dole Institute for Public Service and Public Policy at the University of Kansas. He is the author of The Contemporary Congress (St. Martins, 2000) and co-author of Interest Group Politics (CQ Press, 1998), now in its fifth edition, and The Sound of Money: How Political Interests Get What They Want (Norton, 1999)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

What￯﾿ﾽs happened to the longstanding traditions of civility and decorum within "the world￯﾿ﾽs greatest deliberative body"? While the Senate hasn￯﾿ﾽt yet become as rancorous as the House, over the past three decades it has grown noticeably less collegial. In Esteemed Colleagues, leading congressional scholars address the extent to which civility has declined in the U.S. Senate, and how that decline has affected our political system.

The contributors analyze the relationships between Senators, shaped by high levels of both individualism and partisanship, and how these ties shape the deliberation of issues before the chamber. Civility and deliberation have changed in recent decades, up to and including the Clinton impeachment process, and the book sheds light on both the current American politics and the broad issues of representation, responsiveness, and capacity within our governmental institutions.

Contributors include Ross K. Baker (Rutgers University), Eric M. Uslaner (University of Maryland), Barbara Sinclair (UCLA), C. Lawrence Evans (College of William and Mary), Walter J. Oleszek (Congressional Research Service), Gerald Gamm (University of Rochester), Steven S. Smith (University of Minnesota), Bruce I. Oppenheimer (Vanderbilt University), Timothy E. Cook (Williams College), Roger H. Davidson (University of Maryland), Colton C. Campbell (Florida International University), Norman Ornstein (American Enterprise Institute), and James A. Thurber (American University).

About the Author: Burdett A. Loomis is professor of government and interim director of the Dole Institute for Public Service and Public Policy at the University of Kansas. He is the author of The Contemporary Congress (St. Martins, 2000) and co-author of Interest Group Politics (CQ Press, 1998), now in its fifth edition, and The Sound of Money: How Political Interests Get What They Want (Norton, 1999).

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

...is an important leap forward in our understanding and appreciation of the U.S. Senate. A group of America's finest congressional scholars have pooled their resources and their experienced judgments to probe the crucial deliberative work of our most unique political institution. Students seeking a broad up-to-date and authoritative treatment of the changing working conditions, the mixed performance, and the uncertain prospects of the Senate cannot afford to miss this stimulating collection. — (Richard F. Fenno, University of Rochester)

The Senate, like the rest of America, has become more contentious and less observant of tradition. It remains the great deliberative body, with members working across state and party lines to achieve compromise. But more and more it fails to cool the passions of public opinion, a primary objective of the founding fathers. Burdett loomis has compiled an excellent collection of scholarly articles that capture these changes. It will be required reading for both senators and their staffs.  — Pat Roberts