The Most Exclusive Club: A History of the Modern United States Senate |
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The Most Exclusive Club: A History of the Modern United States Senate
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by Lewis Gould
Sales Rank: 742783
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List Price: $17.95
$14.36
At Amazon
on 10-13-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 416 pages
Published by: Basic Books September 25, 2006
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0465027792
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0465027798
Book Dimensions:
8.8 x 5.7 x 1 inches
Weighs: 1.2 pounds
From Publishers Weekly
The history of the U.S. Senate in the 20th century is one of evolution from a genteel debating society into a collection of bitterly partisan politicians, half of them seeming to eye runs for the White House as they joust for media coverage. As Gould, a historian at the University of Texas (Grand Old Party) relates this disheartening history, a number of themes recur, including periodic battles over the filibuster (especially its use by Southern Democrats defending Jim Crow from the 1930s to the 1960s) and too many senators' chronic alcoholism, sexism and egomania. Inevitably, the book focuses on shifting institutional mores (such as the emergence of year-round fund-raising and campaigning after the advent of television) rather than the substance of policy debates. Gould's assessment of the Senate's historical performance is relatively bleak, noting that, for "protracted periods," it functioned "as a force to genuinely impede the nation's vitality and evolution." And he offers jaundiced assessments of the legacies of some men routinely described as giants of the Senate, such as Robert La Follette, Robert Taft and especially Richard Russell, the much admired six-term senator from Georgia, whose political gifts were deployed in the service of virulent racism. twenty black and white photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Booklist
A prolific chronicler of American political history (1968: The Election That Changed America, 1993), Gould inspects the twentieth-century record of the U.S. Senate. Generally disenchanted with the body and its obstructionist propensities, Gould briskly enunciates his criticisms of Senate procedures and concentrates on the senators themselves. In the self--important surroundings of Capitol Hill, personalities and animosities have had significant political ramifications, which connect with the electoral rhythms to shape Gould's narrative. One large theme is the mirage of fame, Gould arguing that the most famous senators, such as the progressive Robert La Follette, the isolationist William Borah, or the egomaniacal Lyndon Johnson, are marginal to institutional history. Gould rates as more important unusual figures such as John Worth Kern (for engineering Woodrow Wilson's legislative program) and James Allen (for perfecting the filibuster in the 1970s). Much in the news, the filibuster's history will be Gould's current-events selling point, and his gallery of the Senate's cads, sots, and segregationists, plus its members principled or corrupt, will lead readers into the world of senatorial social and parliamentary customs. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Reader Reviews
This review is from: The Most Exclusive Club: A History of the Modern United States Senate (Hardcover)
Like many people in late 2005, I have been watching the HBO series, "Rome," and noticing the role of the Roman Senate in the collapse of the republic to be replaced by Julius Caesar's empire. "The Most Exclusive Club" is a capable, relatively short anecdotal history of the U.S. Senate in modern America. This Senate's relationship to its ancient Roman namesake is more than just coincidental. In Gould's telling, the modern U.S. Senate, like its Roman predecessor, had its share of corrupt politicians, dedicated public servants, power brokers, and reprobates. Both groups shared the authority and responsibility of high office in a time of crisis and transition. Both senates also found themselves under the control of a powerful chief executive, and while Caesar was a tyrant who did not have to stand for election, at various times in the twentieth century the United States Senate also contended with an "imperial presidency" that demanded obedience of the Senate. That is certainly the case of the most recent post-9/11 era. This is an important book that traces the history of the Senate throughout the twentieth century and into the first years of the twenty-first. In it we see the institution evolve as differing concerns rise and subside, as crises come and go, and as personalities change and the forces of political will shift. One of the my favorite sections of the book deals with Lyndon B. Johnson, whose leadership was one of domination and browbeating on both members of his own party and on the Republicans. He accomplished much before leaving the Senate for the vice presidency in 1961, but he also left an institution in disarray. Gould is also excellent in his discussion of the issue of divided government, that is, the control of the Legislative branch by the party not in control of the White House. That division helped ensure an effective check on runaway political power. This division has not been present in recent years, leading into a discussion of the Senate's recent past. IGould's analysis of the Senate decided lack of backbone in opposing the war in Iraq, despite the misgivings of many of its members, is both enlightening and provocative. This is a breezy read and a valuable consideration of this important body in the twentieth century United States. One cannot understand the recent political situation without appreciating the roles of the various organizations of government and how they interact. "The Most Exclusive Club" helps to decipher the role of the Senate in this set of relationships.
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The Most Exclusive Club: A History of the Modern United States Senate
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Price: $14.36
Updated on 10-13-2008.
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