On Capitol Hill: The Struggle to Reform Congress and its Consequences, 1948-2000 [Hardcover]

Julian E. Zelizer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0521801613 | ISBN-13: 978-0521801614 | Edition: 1

Thirty years after the "Watergate Babies" promised to end corruption in Washington, Julian Zelizer offers the first major history of the demise of the committee-era Congress and the rise of the contemporary legislative branch. Based on research in more than a hundred archival collections, this book tackles one of the most enduring political challenges in America: barring a wholesale revolution, how can we improve our representative democracy so as best to fulfill the promises of the Constitution? Whereas popular accounts suggest that major scandals or legislation can transform government institutions, Zelizer shows that reform is messy, slow, and involves many institutions coming together at the right time. The short period of reform in the 1970s--one that rivaled the Progressive Era--revolved around a coalition that had worked for decades, a slow reconfiguration of the relationship among political institutions, shifts in the national culture, and the ability of reformers to take advantage of scandals and elections. Zelizer presents a new look at the origins of the partisanship and scandal warfare that characterize today's politics. The book also offers a warning to the next generation of reformers by showing how a new political environment can radically transform the political impact of government reforms, as occurred when the conservative movement--during its rise to power in recent decades--took advantage of reforms that had ended the committee era. Julian Zelizer teaches political history at Boston University. His book, Taxing America: Wilbur D. Mills, Congress, and the State, 1945-1975 (Cambridge, 1999), was awarded the Organization of American Historian's 1998 D.B. Hardeman Prize. He is the co-editor of The Democratic Experiment (Princeton University Press, 2003) and the editor of The American Congress: The Building of Democracy (Houghton-Mifflin, 2005).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Zelizer offers a broad yet detailed analysis of the causes and consequences of the five decade evolution that changed Congress from a committee-based institution to the current partisan structure. This book should be read..." R.E. Dewhirst, Northwest Missouri State University, Choice

"On Capitol Hill deserves to become a landmark in the current revival of the study of American political history. It is a lucidly written, sensible, and wide-ranging survey of Congressional reform in the post World War II era and will provide nourishment for many a stimulating seminar, especially among readers who are eager to enlarge their perspectives beyond the presidential synthesis of American politics." Nelson W. Polsby, University of California, Berkeley, author of How Congress Evolves

"On Capitol Hill asks a crucial question: why does Congress appear less purposeful and effective than in the past? Julian Zelizer's persuasive answer should engage- and trouble- everyone concerned with the future of American democracy. With its massive research base and its fair-minded, cogent analysis, this book will remain a landmark in the history of American government." Michael B. Katz, Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania

"A truly magisterial work, On Capitol Hill situates pivotal shifts in Congressional procedures within the panorama of twentieth-century U.S. history. Analysts of Congress learn how broader social movements and political reorganizations contributed to Congressional reforms of the 1970s, and pushed their consequences in unintended directions. Students of social movements learn why they cannot afford to ignore governing elites and institutional rules of the game. This book deserves a wide and enduring readership within and beyond academia. Bravo, Julian Zelizer, on a landmark achievement!" Theda Skocpol, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology and Director of the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University

"With a sure touch, Julian Zelizer offers a comprehensive account of congressional reform during the last half century. It is all here: the Democratic Study Group, Common Cause, various outrages and scandals, the drive for civil rights, the packing of the House Rules Committee in 1961, the liberals' empowerment of the House Speakership, the structural moves by Speaker Newt Gingrich, campaign finance reform. The referencing is prodigious. Nothing like this impressive work has ever been done." David Mayhew, Sterling Professor of Political Science, Yale University

"Steeped in detailed research and sensitive to the Big Picture, Zelizer tells a gripping story, full of large characters, innovative arguments, and savvy judgments. Zelizer not only analyzes the history of Congressional reform and the political paradigm shifts in Congress, he also reinterprets the history of reform politics in twentieth-century America. Nobody has really explained what happened to the good government, mugwump tradition in American politics after World War II. Zelizer changes all that." Bruce Schulman, Boston University

"Zelizer's work is an important contribution to the literature on Congress. Besides being informative, it also is a highly entertaining read." Perspectives on Political Science

"Julian Zelizer's remarkable book offers us nothing less than a hidden history of our times, a parallel universe that explains why Congress was able to enact some of the most APSA Legislative Studies Section Newsletter, and why other equally popular bills were consigned to the dustbin. If the action takes place well within the beltway, Zelizer demonstrates that the impact of procedural reform in the Congress has had enormous consequences all across the land. This book is essential reading, not just for policy historians, but for all those concerned with American labor, race, media, and political culture during the last half of the 20th century." Nelson Lichtenstein, Professor of History, University of California, Santa Barbara

"All members of the Legislative Studies Section should read this book.... When asked, 'Where can I find a good narrative history of the modern Congress?' we now have an answer." APSA Legislative Studies Section Newsletter

"Should be required reading in graduate courses on Congress in political science both its methodology and its substance are necessary for future congressional scholars. It easily could be used in undergradute courses, depending on the faculty member's approach to the course. Finally all serious scholars of Congress should have this book on their book shelves. It will quickly become the standard source for those seeking a history of the modern Congress." APSA Perspectives on Politics

" On Capitol Hill expertly mines archival and published sources to describe efforts to reform Congress during the second half of the twentieth century and relate institutional change to the struggle for political power in the United States. This is not a narrow organizational study of Congress, but a rich historical narrative set in the broad context of social and political developments of the era." - Allan J. Lichtman, American University

Book Description

Thirty years after the "Watergate Babies" promised to end corruption in Washington, Julian Zelizer offers the first major history of the demise of the committee-era Congress and the rise of the contemporary legislative branch. Based on research in more than a hundred archival collections, this book tackles one of the most enduring political challenges in America: barring a wholesale revolution, how can we improve our representative democracy so as best to fulfill the promises of the Constitution? Whereas popular accounts suggest that major scandals or legislation can transform government institutions, Zelizer shows that reform is messy, slow, and involves many institutions coming together at the right time. The short period of reform in the 1970s -- one that rivaled the Progressive Era -- revolved around a coalition that had worked for decades, a slow reconfiguration of the relationship among political institutions, shifts in the national culture, and the ability of reformers to take advantage of scandals and elections. Zelizer presents a new look at the origins of the partisanship and scandal warfare that characterize today's politics. The book also offers a warning to the next generation of reformers by showing how a new political environment can radically transform the political impact of government reforms, as occurred when the conservative movement -- during its rise to power in recent decades --took advantage of reforms that had ended the committee era.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (March 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521801613
• ISBN-13: 978-0521801614
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,546,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julian E. Zelizer is Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University. He is the author and editor of numerous books on U.S. political history and a well-known commentator in the media.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exciting, easy to read and jam-packed with info, May 26, 2004

By 

T. Johnson "Steve" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On Capitol Hill: The Struggle to Reform Congress and its Consequences, 1948-2000 (Hardcover)

This is the best history of modern American politics that I have ever read in 40 years--a great look into how we ended up where we are today in American politics. One excellent chapter looks at how the civil rights struggle created demands for reform, and another looks at how the conservative movement used the reforms for their own purposes in the 1980s and 1990s. This book has it all--scandal, elections, inside political battles, civil rights and more. Everyone interested in history and politics should read this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful book, November 28, 2004

By 

Tom (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Capitol Hill: The Struggle to Reform Congress and its Consequences, 1948-2000 (Hardcover)

I saw this guy on C-SPAN a few days ago with Brian Lamb so decided to buy the book. it is one of the best books I have read in decades about politics (and I am political junkie guy constantly reading this stuff). It is sweeping history of how Congress changed in the 1970s and what is going on today. The book has lots of intellectual heft, but it is written in fun and easy to understand style. This guy has very interesting points to make about how conservatives have done so well. There is a chapter on scandal and the Watergate Babies and reforms that was just brilliant. I hope more people read this book and have this guy on their show. Can't think of another book like it.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, October 8, 2004

By 

Mia (FLorida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Capitol Hill: The Struggle to Reform Congress and its Consequences, 1948-2000 (Hardcover)

This is the first serious and interesting history I have read about the modern American political system. The author (historian) looked at a zillion archives and put together a breathtaking overview of how congress changed so much since the New Deal period.

The book is filled with good stories, like Hubert Humphrey pissing off southern colleagues when he comes to the Senate and this guy Richard Bolling whose reforms go down in flames. I also learned lots about why liberals lost out to conservatives on Capitol Hill.

I highly recommend this.