How Congress evolves: social bases of institutional change

In this tale of one of America's most august institutions Nelson Polsby argues that among other things, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Congress evolved. He breathes new life into institutional history, and offers an explanation for important transformations in the congressional environment.

In this tale of one of America's most august institutions Nelson Polsby argues that among other things, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Congress evolved. He breathes new life into institutional history, and offers an explanation for important transformations in the congressional environment

Intro -- Contents -- Introduction -- 1. The House in Sam Rayburn's Time -- A Conservative House: 1937-57 -- After the 1958 Election: Frustration -- The Rump Session of 1960 -- Packing the Rules Committee by Avoiding the Democratic Caucus: 1961 -- 2. Toward Liberalization -- Succession to Rayburn -- Conflict within the Caucus: Liberals against the Leadership, 1963 -- Incremental Committee Packing: Appropriations, 1963 -- Republican Committee Packing: Maintaining the Party Mainstream, 1961-63 -- The Landslide: 1964 -- The Democratic Study Group Uses the Caucus: 1967-72 -- Fallout from Watergate: The Caucus Puts Seniority under Siege -- A Remodeled House -- 3. Causes of Liberalization -- The House Democratic Caucus -- The Rise of the Two-Party South -- Southern Republicans in the 1990s: A Group Portrait -- 4. Consequences: Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System? -- The Retreat from Bipartisanship in Committee -- Two Strategies of Opposition -- An Era of Ill-Feeling -- Tyranny Tempered by Assassination -- 5. Overview: How Congress Evolves -- Innovation and Stalemate -- Overview of the House -- Stories about Change -- Appendix: Methods and Sources -- Notes -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y -- Z.