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How Congress Evolves

Social Bases of Institutional Change

Nelson W Polsby author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press

Published:15th Jan '04

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How Congress Evolves cover

In this greatly entertaining tale of of one of our most august institutions, Nelson Polsby argues that among other things, from the 50s to the 90s, Congress evolved. In short, Polsby argues that air conditioning altered the demography of the Southern States, which in turn changed the political parties of the South, which transformed the composition and in due course the performance of the US House of Representatives. This evolutionary process led to the House's liberalisation and later to its transformation into an arena of sharp partisanship, visible among both Democrats and Republicans. This book breathes new life into the dusty corners of institutional history, and offers a unique expanation for important transformations in the congressional environment.

A fascinating history of how the House has developed. * The New York Review of Books *
Polsby's How Congress Evolves is crisply written and argued, moving logically toward an explanation of how Congress changes over time. It should be read by anyone serious about the subject of how political institutions evolve. * The Weekly Standard *
Polsby, one of the nation's leading congressional scholars, presents a short, readable, and insightful book about institutional change that will have enduring value. This will most certainly become a classic. * Choice *
Nelson Polsby always offers a fresh and insightful perspective on Congress. Few observers pull together the historical perspective, and original analysis and trenchant observations as well as Nelson Polsby does. * Congressman Lamar Smith (R. Texas) *

ISBN: 9780195161953

Dimensions: 160mm x 236mm x 31mm

Weight: 524g

272 pages