Leadership in the U.S. Senate

Reviews / Votes

'A superb addition to the literatures about Senate change and congressional leadership, this edited volume provides rich and detailed coverage of Senate leaders from the 1950s to the contemporary era. Baker, Byrd, Dole, Mitchell, Daschle, Lott, Frist, and Reid - they're all here. Together, the individual chapters inform our understanding of a transformative period in congressional history, and the excellent introduction and conclusion authored by leading scholars tie it all together. This book is a "must-read" for those interested the current operations and future prospects of the American Senate.' - C. Lawrence Evans, Newton Family Professor of Government, College of William & Mary

'This volume's distinguished group of contributors craft concise, vivid, and insightful profiles of all the Senate majority leaders since 1980 as well as set recent developments in a broader historical and political context. The book offers a unique perspective and insight on contemporary Senate leadership that is both valuable to scholars and appropriate for undergraduate students.' - Frances E. Lee, University of Maryland

'Leadership in the U.S. Senate is a tremendous contribution to the study of the Senate and modern politics. The chapters in this volume trace the careers of Senate majority leaders from Robert Byrd in the 1970s to Harry Reid's tenure ending in 2015. Taken separately, these chapters provide individual accounts of talented politicians using their wit and a meager toolkit of powers to make a decentralized legislature work. Together they trace the modern history of a chamber undergoing rapid change from the freewheeling, individualistic Senate of the 1970s to the intensely partisan modern Senate. The authors of these chapters provide a rare mix of both scholarly expertise and personal experience, providing a book that is both biographical and institutional.' - Gregory Koger, Professor of Political Science, University of Miami