The ins versus the outs -- A protracted era of partisan parity -- The logic of confrontation -- Emerging strategies of confrontation, 1976-94 -- The institutionalization of partisan communications -- The rise of the partisan message vote -- Governing versus messaging: the party politics of the debt limit / coauthored with Timothy L. Cordova -- Party competition and conflict in state legislatures / coauthored with Kelsey L. Hinchliffe -- The perpetual campaign and the US constitutional system.
Summary
As Democrats and Republicans continue to vie for political advantage, Congress remains paralyzed by partisan conflict. That the last two decades have seen some of the least productive Congresses in recent history is usually explained by the growing ideological gulf between the parties, but this explanation misses another fundamental factor influencing the dynamic. In contrast to politics through most of the twentieth century, the contemporary Democratic and Republican parties compete for control of Congress at relative parity, and this has dramatically changed the parties' incentives and strategies in ways that have driven the contentious partisanship characteristic of contemporary American politics. With "Insecure Majorities", Frances E. Lee offers a controversial new perspective on the rise of congressional party conflict, showing how the shift in competitive circumstances has had a profound impact on how Democrats and Republicans interact.
