Rivals for Power: Presidential-Congressional Relations

by James A. Thurber Distinguished Professor, American University (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:	9781538100783
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/15/2022
Edition description:	Seventh Edition
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	920,116
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.05(h) x 0.83(d)
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., Roy P. Crocker Professor of American Politics, Claremont McKenna College

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, lecturer and visiting professor, Princeton University

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"

From the Publisher

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.

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

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

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

Once again, Jim Thurber has pulled together a first-rate and diverse set of scholars to examine the perennial tensions between the branches. While partisanship has often taken over the spotlight in analyses of American politics over the past twenty years, inter-branch relationships remain extraordinarily important in explaining cooperation, or its absence. With their differing vantage points and perspectives, these congressional and presidential experts offer a winning combination of specific and general observations, provided with the nuance we’ve come to expect from this consistently excellent volume.

Burdett A. Loomis

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

Jasmine Farrier

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

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

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