Why is Congress mired in partisan polarization? The conventional
answer is that members of Congress and their constituencies
fundamentally disagree with one other along ideological lines. But
Gregory Koger and Matthew J. Lebo uncover a more compelling reason
that today’s political leaders devote so much time to conveying
their party’s positions, even at the expense of basic government
functions: Both parties want to win elections. In Strategic Party
Government, Koger and Lebo argue that Congress is now primarily a
forum for partisan competition. In order to avoid losing, legislators
unite behind strong party leaders, even when they do not fully agree
with the policies their party is advocating. They do so in the belief
that party leaders and voters will reward them for winning—or at
least trying to win—these legislative contests. And as the parties
present increasingly united fronts, partisan competition intensifies
and pressure continues to mount for a strong party-building
strategy—despite considerable disagreement within the parties. By
bringing this powerful but underappreciated force in American politics
to the forefront, Koger and Lebo provide a new interpretation of the
problems facing Congress that is certain to reset the agenda for
legislative studies.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780226424743
Publisert
2018
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
University of Chicago Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter