Reviews (1)

a laugh riot
This book was an utter delight to read -- I keep it on my bedside table, and give myself the treat of a chapter each night.You wouldn't think that a book on legislation could have that impact, but Eskridge makes the topicfun and riveting, at once. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Law    5. Legislation    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Public    8. Public Policy - General    9. Public law    10. United States    11. Social law   

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Lobbying    4. Political Process - General    5. Politics - Current Events    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Reference    8. United States    9. Central government    10. Political structure & processes    11. USA   

Reviews (79)

Forget the Hype, Read the Book.
Stop listening to the revisionists, and just read the book.Ignore what historians say and just read the book.This book is as close to the man that was John F. Kennedy as we will ever see.
Examples of political courage
This is one of the books you always hear about, but never got around to reading.This time, I decided I would take the time to become familiar with it.It had, in 1956, won a Pulitzer Prize.The book was not quite what I had thought it would be.
One of JFK's best, along with Why England Slept
Profiles in Courage is one of author
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Congress.    5. Courage    6. Government - Legislative Branch    7. Historical - U.S.    8. History - U.S.    9. Legislators    10. Political    11. Senate    12. U.S. Congress (General)    13. United States    14. United States - General    15. United States.    16. History / United States / General   

Reviews (1)

Margaret Chase Smith
Wallace's narrative of Smith's life and career lacks finesse. While there are many facts included in the biography, many of the hypotheticals are left unfootnoted, decreasing the credibility of the author and her sources. While there is much information included in the book, it lacks connections that make other biographies a joy to read. I would suggest "No Place For a Woman: A Life of Senator Margaret Chase Smith" by Janann Sherman instead. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1897-    2. 1897-1995    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Congress.    8. Legislators    9. Political    10. Senate    11. Smith, Margaret Chase,    12. U.S. Senate    13. United States    14. United States - 20th Century    15. United States.    16. Biography & Autobiography / Political    17. Biography: general    18. History / United States / 20th Century    19. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    20. Smith, Margaret Chase    21. USA   

Subjects:  1. Almanacs    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Law    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Reference    6. Referendum    7. States    8. United States    9. Political Science    10. State, Provincial & Local Government    11. Democracy    12. Direct democracy    13. Politics and government   

Reviews (5)

Contract ON America ?
When the Republican party initiated the Contract with America, maybe they were talking about a different kind of 'contract' ?

Incomplete and subtly biased
The aim of this book is to explain the origins of the Contract with America and its effects on the American political landscape.
The Winning Ticket
This is a somewhat turgid but solid piece of reportage on how the Contract of America came about, its brief career on the national stage, and then how its goals seeped into the platforms of both parties.
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Subjects:  1. (104th :    2. 1993-2001    3. 1995-1996)    4. 2001-    5. Congress    6. Government - Legislative Branch    7. Government - U.S. Government    8. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    9. Political Process - Political Parties    10. Political Science    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics and government    13. Politics/International Relations    14. United States    15. United States.    16. Current Events / Political   

Reviews (2)

Get the text!
Material is great, but the digital format is awful. First off, it took 5 days from the day I ordered this until I was able to access it. Amazon claims there was a server error that prevented me from getting it right away. I am not sure why they couldn't reboot. To access the document, you need a .net passport as the document uses Adobe DRM security. The kicker is, the permissions are set so that you can only print 20 pages every 30 days, 20 times. Additionally, you can only copy 5 selections (1 page max per selection) every 30 days, 5 times. That means that if you wish to print all 529 pages (which I only needed around 100 of), you could only get 80% there in a total of 20 months. This interesting fact of course was not explicitly stated in the item description. This was a major headache, but to Amazon's credit they did refund my money. My advice would be to purchase the print version and to stay away from Amazon's digital locker system until they explicitly state whether or not you are able to print, and to what extent. It is absurd that you would not be able to print this. You could buy the book and make a photocopy/scan to OCR -- why not print? The cost of printing on a laser printer is around two cents a page. That would be $10.59 for the entire text. Cheaper than Amazon charges for the new version, but I don't think there is much of a market for bootleg copies of a text on Legislative Politics in Latin America. If there is, we live in a sad world.

limited inter-country comparisons
The editors present a collection of essays that analyse legislatives across Latin America. The essays let you compare across countries the performances of these parliaments and their interactions with the rest of their governments. The book studies what are arguably the four main countries - Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico.
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Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Economic Conditions    3. Executive power    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. Latin America    6. Legislative bodies    7. Legislative power    8. Political Science    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Central government    12. Legislative bodies--Latin America--Case studies    13. Political Science / General    14. Political economy    15. Political science & theory   

Reviews (1)

America's Greatest Unknown Statesman
Full Disclosure:I am descended from John Jordan Crittenden, subject of this book.Nonetheless, I knew very little about him before I read this wonderful biography.As a student of American history, I am astonished that he is not better known to average Americans.Six-term United States Senator, governor of Kentucky, U.S. Representative, U.S. Attorney General under three presidents, nominated by three presidents for the U.S. Supreme Court, repeatedly the likely winner of presidential elections had he chosen to run, and the man who, had he been able to get a Republican-controlled senate to put his compromise plan to a vote, would now be remembered as the man who prevented the Civil War, John J. Crittenden led possibly the most selfless substantial career in American political history.Even after his heroic efforts to stave off war between the states, his successful effort to prevent the secession of Kentucky almost certainly saved the Union.Albert Kirwan's book is not only a thorough examination of one of the most unjustly neglected careers in American politics, but it is a clear and fascinating report which, for all its coverage of congressional procedure, never lags or fails to propel the reader through it.I have read biographies of all American presidents through Lincoln, and until this book, I never clearly understood how America developed from the united post-Revolution nation to the bitterly divided battleground it became by the mid-1800s.Never more plainly have I understood the tragedy of the Civil War -- not merely because of the bloodshed that it contained, but for the fact that, but for party politics and Lincoln's initial short-sightedness, the war need never have occurred.The fact is, there is a great and dramatic story in Crittenden's nearly successful attempt to save the Union, and Kirwan writes it with the skill of a master playwright.This is an impeccably researched book, but far more than that, it is a powerful story about a one of America's greatest heroes, now almost forgotten by the ages. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. General    3. Politics/International Relations    4. Crittenden, John J    5. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT   

Reviews (8)

A Man to Know About
Daniel Webster was a great man in every meaning of the word. He had great talents and love for his country and its constitution; and he had great flaws that were magnified by his greatness. One thing he didn't have was a great modern and objective biography. He now has one, thanks to Mr. Remini.
Daniel Webster was one complex dude
Robert Remini brings us Daniel Webster as no one else can.... In order to paint such a perfect picture of a man that is as complex as Webster requires the knowledge of a true expert.
Black Dan and the Godlike Daniel
Occasionally, nature produces an individual with towering intellect and mesmerizing oratorical abilities, but haunted by deep and seemingly irrepressible moral flaws.Their lives are filled with a mix of remarkable achievement and profound disappointment; monumental success and disgrace both seem inevitable.The late twentieth century had Bill Clinton, and the early nineteenth had Daniel Webster.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1782-1852    2. 1815-1861    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Historical - General    8. Historical - U.S.    9. Legislators    10. Political    11. Politics and government    12. Statesmen    13. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    14. United States    15. Webster, Daniel,    16. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    17. Biography & Autobiography-Political    18. Biography: historical    19. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    20. USA    21. Webster, Daniel   

Reviews (11)

This book deserves more respect.
"All Politics Is Local" by Tip O' Neill, with Gary Hymel
A Short and Insightful Read
Whether knocking on doors or meeting folks at the county fair, the best way to persuade people is the personal way. In this short but sweet book, former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil shares a lifetime of stories to illustrate this important lesson. Even if you aren't an avid reader, you'll find it difficult to put this book down.
Very Informative and Very Entertaining
1/14/05 Former Speaker of the House, Tip O'Neill in this non-fiction, makes politics seem like the most enjoyable and most honest of professions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1945-1989    2. General    3. Government - Legislative Branch    4. O'Neil, Tip    5. Politics - Current Events    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics and government    8. Politics/International Relations    9. U.S. Government (General)    10. United States    11. Non-Classifiable   

Subjects:  1. 1964    2. Biography    3. Election    4. Government - Executive Branch    5. Government - Legislative Branch    6. History - General History    7. History - U.S.    8. Legislators    9. Political Process - Elections    10. Political Science    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Presidential candidates    13. Presidents    14. U.S. Presidential Elections    15. U.S. Senate    16. United States    17. United States - 20th Century    18. United States - 20th Century/60s    19. Biography: general    20. Naval forces & warfare    21. USA   

Reviews (1)

Quick service
Received the book very quickly and promptly. It is the second to last edition and not the most current which I actually ended up needing, but that was probably my fault. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Congress    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. History & Theory - General    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. U.S. Congress (General)    9. United States    10. United States.    11. Central government    12. USA   

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Encyclopedias    3. General    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Law    7. Law (General)    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. U.S. Congress (General)    11. United States    12. Central government    13. Laws of Other Jurisdictions & General Law    14. USA   

Reviews (6)

Good and informative (but has its flaws)
While there is no shortage of books on Presidents and the Presidency, and quite a few on the Supreme Court, it seems that the legislative branch is a bit neglected.That's not to say that there aren't some good books on individual Congressmen (especially the big names such as Clay, Webster and Calhoun), but the institution seems to be the least chronicled of the three branches.With The Most Exclusive Club, Lewis Gould tries to fill this void with a history of the Senate from 1900 on.
Poor Scholarship, Poor Writing and Painful Bias - A Clear Do Not Read
The Most Exclusive Club is one of those books for which a review should be written only to alert readers NOT to read the book.
Excellent Overview of the Modern Senate
Lewis Gould's "The Most Exclusive Club: A History of the Modern United State Senate" is a fascinating political history of one of the most interesting political institutions in our nation.This book helps one understand how the Senate has evolved over the course of the last century--in all it's highs and lows.I was shocked at some of the behavior of those who have served in the world greatest deliberative body--as well as some of our Presidents (and realized how much history repeats itself).I was also hopeful as well because it also revealed just how much there are some Senators who are willing to work together and to stick to their principles to help better the United States.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Congress.    3. Government - Legislative Branch    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. History    6. History: American    7. Political History    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Senate    10. U.S. History - 20th Century (General)    11. U.S. Senate    12. United States - 20th Century    13. United States.    14. American history    15. The Americas    16. USA   

Reviews (3)

Necessary Information for a necessary process
This is a book for the serious political participant and observer.It is technical in its nature although fairly easy to read and comprehend.Gerhardt is straightforward in his purpose: (1) provide readers with a historical perspective on Federal impeachment processes and (2) provide readers with necessary information on just what impeachment means and how the process works.He achieves both purposes very well.Since there is at least a possibility of one Congressional house changing party control in November, and that the new party in control (Democrats) likely will call for the impeachment of George W. Bush, citizens should be well informed on what the process means and how it impacts their nation.This book is an excellent choice for becoming so informed.

Well written overview for both lawyers and general readers.
Thought provoking and clearily written. While primarily limited in scopeto impeachment of federal judges (because more cases exist), theinformation on the origin of the impeachment provisions in the federalConstitution and the thinking behind the adoption of the provisions by theframers is relevant to issues of presidential impeachment. The reader willfind that it is useful as a guide to following the current hearings of theHouse Judiciary Committee as the members refer to precedents andhistory. A thorough and well-written guide to impeachment
The last major treatments of impeachment were written by Raoul Berger andCharles Black a quarter century ago.Yet, in fact, quite a bit hashappened since then:though no Presidents have been impeached (so far),cases involving federal judges in particular have made new law and raisednew questions.Gerhardt's book goes into more depth than either Black orBerger, and provides an excellent guide to a wide range of issues. Gerhardt is more a Blackian than a Bergerian -- heavily influenced bystructure and relationship, and prone to avoid judicial review ofimpeachment in most circumstances.An excellent book, and well-written. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Impeachments    5. Law    6. Political Process - Leadership    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. United States    10. Constitutional & administrative law    11. Political Science / Congress    12. Political science & theory    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. Civics & Citizenship    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Political Process - General    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics and government    7. Politics/International Relations    8. U.S. Government (Specific Aspects)    9. U.S. Practical Politics    10. United States    11. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    12. Political Science / General    13. USA   

Editorial Review

Few people have been as involved in the major political investigations of the last 40 years as Senator Arlen Specter, the independent and tenacious Republican from Pennsylvania. With the help of his former press secretary Charles Robbins, Specter tells all, beginning with his prosecution of the Philadelphia Teamsters during Robert Kennedy's anticorruption investigations and ending with his role in President Clinton's impeachment proceedings. Specter is perhaps best known for his controversial opinions. As a member of the Warren Commission, he authored the Single Bullet Theory, which supported the charge that JFK was assassinated by a lone gunman. And as Anita Hill's Senate questioner, he declared that Clarence Thomas's accuser had committed "flat-out perjury." But his book presents a picture of an evenhanded man who has merely acted according to his belief that the nation's "political and social health ... rests on government's doggedly following facts to find truth and then acting on that truth to create public policy." In fact, his purpose in publishing the behind-the-scenes activities of the Warren Commission, Robert Bork's Supreme Court nomination, the Ruby Ridge investigation, the Thomas-Hill proceedings, and the presidential impeachment, is to restore the public's faith in government and end conspiracy theories born of incomplete facts. "Had congressional oversight on Waco been as effective as it was on Ruby Ridge," he writes, "the militia movement would have been less motivated to mobilize. It is even conceivable the Oklahoma City bombing could have been avoided."Read more

Reviews (24)

The Single-Bullet Theory Is As Logical And True Today As It Was In 1963-1964 .... And Everyone Should Know Why
Virtually all conspiracy theorists who are of the opinion that President John F. Kennedy met his violent death on November 22, 1963, as the result of an evil, elaborate plot orchestrated and carried out by _________ (the roster of potential assassins and conspirators is nearly endless to use in this blank space), are also of the opinion that Mr. Arlen Specter and the Warren Commission he worked for in the year 1964 were all wet and/or full of stinky fecal matter when it comes to the three words that have sparked debate the world over since the President's assassination -- the "Single-Bullet Theory".
A passion for Truth?
Just one question/comment.
I agree with Senator Spector 81-89.5% of the time ...
I really enjoyed this book ... it was really worth the read ... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Congress    6. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    7. Historical - General    8. Legislators    9. Political    10. Specter, Arlen    11. United States    12. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    13. Assassination    14. Biography: historical    15. Clinton, Bill    16. Impeachment    17. Kennedy, John F    18. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    19. USA   

Reviews (1)