Partisan Balance

"Once again, Mayhew demolishes conventional wisdom in this theoretically informed analysis of domestic policymaking in the post-World War II era. Readers will find all the qualities they have come to expect from this author--thoughtful arguments, surprising findings, and provocative, if not iconoclastic, conclusions."--Morris P. Fiorina, Stanford University"David Mayhew illuminates a previously confusing aspect of American politics: the extent to which the U.S. Congress since World War II has concurred with or rejected presidents' major legislative proposals. As always, Mayhew's careful analysis of data and sensitivity to political factors produce definitive and surprising conclusions."--Michael Barone, American Enterprise Institute and coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics"Gridlock? Polarization? A constitution undermined by political parties and special interests? Think again. David Mayhew's eye-opening Partisan Balance explains how the political parties have in fact been integral to the survival of the U.S. Constitution and the instrument of American democracy, rather than its undoing."--Stephen Ansolabehere, Harvard University"David Mayhew dominates presidential studies. With Partisan Balance, he elevates clusters of legislative case studies into genuine data for his argument and analysis. This book makes a commanding statement."--Theodore J. Lowi, Cornell University"A must-read for students of American politics, this book provides a compelling new perspective on several of the biggest questions facing the field. Drawing upon two innovative datasets, Mayhew demonstrates that American politics has been characterized by far more majoritarianism than critics have recognized. Mayhew offers new, important insights into the enduring logic of our constitutional system."--Eric Schickler, University of California, Berkeley"Partisan Balance has all the elements of David Mayhew's best work: a provocative thesis, meticulously collected evidence, engaging writing, and vast erudition."--Nolan McCarty, Princeton University"This impressive book makes an important contribution to our understanding of American politics, most especially regarding the presidency and Congress. Mayhew presents arguments that undercut the conventional wisdom and his analysis is elegantly executed."--David Lewis, Vanderbilt University