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
9780226424576
Publisert
2017-01-30
Utgiver
Vendor
University of Chicago Press
Vekt
595 gr
Høyde
24 mm
Bredde
16 mm
Dybde
2 mm
Aldersnivå
UU, UP, 05
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
224

Biographical note

Gregory Koger is associate professor of political science at the University of Miami. He is the author of Filibustering: A Political History of Obstruction in the House and Senate, also published by the University of Chicago Press. Matthew J. Lebo is professor of political science at Stony Brook University, where he also directs the Center for Behavioral Political Science.