Rivals for Power: Presidential-Congressional Relations

by James A. Thurber (Editor)

Overview

Now in its seventh edition, Rivals for Power: Presidential-Congressional Relations brings together the knowledge of leading scholars and scholar-practitioners alike to explain the complex political dynamic between the president and Congress. Contributors analyze the structural, political, and behavioral factors that shape this relationship, while showing how and why rivalry has tended to intensify when different parties control the two branches.

Intended for students, scholars, public officials, and the general public, Rivals for Power offers an accessible and engaging analysis of executive and legislative rivalry across a span of eras, with particular attention to developments from the Obama, Trump, and Biden presidencies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538100790
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	07/11/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James A. Thurber is University Distinguished Professor of Government and Founder (1979) and Former Director (1979-2016) of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington, D.C.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables
Preface
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Presidential-Congressional Rivalry James Thurber
Chapter 2: Voters, Elections and the President’s Agenda in Congress: Joe Biden’s First Year Gary C. Jacobson
Chapter 3: How Donald Trump Tried to Overthrow the 2020 ElectionJames Pfiffner
Chapter 4: Assessing Presidential and Congressional Rivalry in an Era of Polarization Sarah Binder
Chapter 5: Unilateral Presidential Authority: Uses and AbusesJames Pfiffner
Chapter 6: Biden on the Tight Rope: Managing Congressional Relations in a Polarized Era Gary Andres and Pat Griffin
Chapter 7: A Centrist President Faces a Polarized CongressRoss Baker
Chapter 8: Rivalry for Power in the Judicial Appointment Process John Anthony Maltese
Chapter 9: The President, Congress, and Foreign Policy Edward Alden
Chapter 10: Biden’s Choice on Foreign Policy: A New Internationalism or America First? Leon E. Panetta
Chapter 11: Presidents, Congress and Budget Decisions: Risks, Responsibilities, and OpportunitiesJoseph White
Chapter 12: The President, Congress and the Politics of Regulation Claudia Thurber
Chapter 13: The President, Congress and the Media Ron Elving
Chapter 14: The Investigative Check in a Polarized Era: Still Empowered or Imperiled? Douglas Kriner
Chapter 15: Closing the Deal? Presidential Leadership and Legislative Negotiation
David C. Barker and Matthew N. Green
Index
About the Contributors

Editorial Reviews

For the 7th edition, James Thurber has done it again: he has enlisted top scholars to write perceptive essays about congressional-presidential relations. This concise volume addresses enduring questions and contemporary issues in a way that will appeal to college students and practitioners alike. It will be a valuable addition to courses on Congress, the presidency, and American politics in general.

John J. Pitney Jr.

Offering perspectives on the presidential-congressional relationship across a range of important dimensions, [Rivals for Power] is comprehensive in covering key topics...Across the board, the authors have the depth of experience and perspective needed to illuminate their topics in an accessible and insightful way.

Frances E. Lee

Nobody better understands the unique power dynamics of the American political system than Jim Thurber. The competition and cooperation, the distortions of partisanship, the (sometimes ignored) constitutional constraints, all come under the Thurber microscope in this absolutely invaluable study. Shaped by Professor Thurber's guiding hand, Rivals for Power is a marvelous compilation of work by some of America's top political scholars, combining to give us all a better understanding of the complex machinations of American government.

Former Congressman Mickey Edwards

Thurber and Tama present an excellent edited volume studying seemingly every facet of the relationship between Congress and the president. The authors outline the complex political dynamics, intense constitutional rivalry, and evolving electoral and policy demands that define this relationship. This well-written book—clearly intended for a general audience—should be commended for its comprehensive nature and its impressive list of contributors…. [A] valuable contribution to the scholarly literature about Congress, the presidency, and American politics. Highly recommended. All readership levels.

Choice Reviews

Never has this book been more necessary. The separation of powers is at the heart of current political controversies. The stakes are high, the issues are deep, and the essays in this excellent volume are enlightening.

John J. Pitney

Rivals for Power fills a gaping hole in the analyses of how presidents and Congress do, and should, get along with each other. Appropriate for advanced undergraduate and master’s level graduate courses, the book covers virtually all of the key controversies in a readable and thought-provoking fashion. My students liked the fifth edition; this one will be even better.

John R. Johannes

This collection illuminates and connects the policy, partisan, institutional, and constitutional conflicts that shape current inter-branch dynamics.

Jasmine Farrier

Fifteen chapters, presented by Thurber, explore the dynamics of presidential-congressional rivalry in the United States, largely focusing on the current moment and relations between President Obama and Congress, but mindful of historical precedents and comparative issues. Topics include Obama's first term legislative achievements, the impacts of political polarization of presidential-congressional relations, changes in executive branch size and organization in the 21st century, the impact of "political time" (the ways terms in office can define the makeup of congress over shorter or longer periods) on inter-branch relations, the impact of hyperpartisanship on Obama's relations with congressional party leaderships, the role of interest groups, the role of the media, the battle between Obama and the Congress over the federal budget, the politics of federal regulation, presidential-congressional relations in foreign policy, the congressional perspective on inter-branch relations, and the presidential use of unilateral action.

Inc. Book News

Thurber again brings together some of the finest research on presidential and congressional relations and provides an excellent assessment of the confrontational relationship between these contending government branches. Rich in historical and contemporary analysis, Rivals for Power is an essential text for courses on the Congress and the Presidency and for those seeking deeper insight into the partisan gridlock in Washington and practical recommendations for ways to achieve cooperation.

Richard J. Gelm

This collection of smart, insightful essays by an impressive combination of Washington insiders and top political scholars gives a lively and penetrating view of the contemporary relationship between the presidency and congress. It is a terrific resource for students, researchers and political practitioners.

Norman Ornstein

At the cusp of a new era in congressional-presidential relations, a new edition of Rivals for Power is a most welcome and timely arrival. Once again, James Thurber has collected an important set of essays that illuminate the complex relations between the president and Congress. Combining multiple perspectives, this distinguished group of congressional and presidential experts provides accessible analyses that will help students, scholars, and citizens sort out the relations between the White House and Capitol Hill.

Burdett A. Loomis

Students in my Congress and the Presidency course have benefited greatly from James Thurber’s excellent edited volume on presidential-congressional relations. Each reading has stimulated critical thinking and led to engaging classroom discussions. The new Fifth Edition continues the book’s focus on recent scholarship in historical and constitutional perspective, all in accessible form for upper-division undergraduates while still valuable for graduate students. In the field of presidential-congressional relations, currency is essential for making the readings relevant to students. The new edition will have eleven new chapters from leading scholars of presidential-congressional relations, many of whom previously contributed to the Fourth Edition. Most of these new contributions focus on presidential-congressional relations during the Obama Administration. Professor Thurber adds to the new edition a valuable concluding chapter that brings the readings together with a focus on the need for reform. The Fifth Edition continues and improves on an essential resource for any course on presidential-congressional relations.

Robert D. Knight

Recommended.

April 2010 CHOICE

Recommended.

Choice

The newspapers and television news are filled with stories about gridlock and rivalry between Congress and the presidency. But only in good political science such as is practiced by James Thurber and his colleagues can readers see the historical, political, and constitutional foundations of conflict between the political branches and learn to appreciate the political skills that underpin cooperative policy-making in the American political system.

Nelson W. Polsby

This outstanding collection of original essays provides genuine insights into the historical and current relationship of the President and Congress from both leading scholars and practitioners. Fresh, challenging, and filled with many gems this volume should be read by students and by policy makers on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Roger B. Porter

President Clinton's impeachment and the remarkable 2000 election underscore the continuing, complicated competition between the White House and Congress. James Thurber's Rivals for Power is written not only by those who study the history of Washington policy-making, but also those who helped create that history. Foreign policy negotiations are seen through the eyes of a former House Foreign Affairs chairman; federal spending by a former Budget director; building congressional alliances by a former top White House aide charged with doing just that. This insider's guide is thoughtful, readable, and sometimes surprising—an invaluable resource for scholars, students, journalists, C-SPAN addicts, and political junkies of all stripes.

Susan Page

This excellent collection of essays by many of the leading scholars in the field provides a roadmap for understanding
Presidential/Congressional relations at the turn of the century. Using a variety of research approaches and covering a broad range of topics, these authors tackle the central problems of governing in an era of divided partisan control of Washington.

David T. Canon