Customer Reviews

House and Senate

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had the distinct pleasure of taking Congressional Politics with Professor Baker in the Spring of 2005. While reading this book is not quite as good as sitting in one of his lectures, it comes very close.

House and Senate is a remarkable look at the two distinct branches of the United States Congress. Baker discusses not only the differences between the two houses but the reasons that these differences exist. He relies not only on the accounts of Senators who used to serve as Representatives but on his own experiences working for members of both houses. Baker's extensive knowledge of the inner workings of Congress make him uniquely qualified to write this book.

Mr. Baker uses his experiences in the Senate to make his book interesting and entertaining, as well as factually accurate. He compares the two legislative houses with great detail, all the time enhancing each houses's "personality" and that of its members. It is, perhaps, one of the finest books in its class.

Baker has without doubt managed to make interesting what is without doubt not your everyday edge-of-the-seat topic of discussion.At the end of it all the House comes across as a school yard of near deliquents clamouring for press time while the Senate is presented as a bunch of somewhat ignorant attention stealing dont-push-my-buttons-or-i'll-filibuster-you miscreants.Baker's book manages-without the air of patronage that seems to surround authors of such books- to set out in a logical manner what makes each chamber tick.A true sprinkle on an otherwise dry subject matter.

Baker makes one rather basic but essential point in his book discussing the differences between the two chambers of Congress: the small size of the Senate compared to the House makes it a distinct, more generalist, and more elite body. Journalists understand this, lobbyists understand this, and congressmen themselves understand this, argues Baker. His argument is convincing, even if he relies too heavily at times on senators who previously served in the House. Yes, these individuals are uniquely qualified to discuss the processes and the interaction of members, but are they not also pre-disposed to consider the Senate a more prestigious body? This is a minor quibble. In all, House and Senate will teach the reader about the distinctions between the two bodies. In doing so, it tells the layman much about how the legislative branch of government really works.

I might have given this 3 or 3.5 stars, but few if any books out there cover the material that this one does. It is, therefore, commendable for that reason alone. The data in the book are extensive and the discussions concise. Let's face it, though, this isn't exactly a riveting topic on the best of days. Baker definitely gets his arms around all the differences. Unlike many fiction books, I can honestly say I came away from this one well-informed.

Baker's "House and Senate" offers a thorough examination of the differences and similarities that exist between the House of Representatives and the Senate. The differences and similarities include: size, prestige, term length, re-election, perception by the media, lobbyist attitudes, availability, and method of governance. This book is a great source of information and is relatively easy to read. This book is complimented by Davidson and Oleczak's "Congress and Its Members".