From Gridlock to Governance

Negotiation Strategies Congress Uses to Overcome Stalemate
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-3-032-19425-1
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 248 Seiten, Format (B × H): 153 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 424 g

This book is about the negotiation strategies legislators use to end stalemate. Throughout American history, legislative bodies struggle to act on controversial policy topics. By looking at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Compromise of 1850, the Civil Rights Act of 1957, and the Affordable Care Act of 2010, we gain a better understanding of how politicians try to change legislators’ minds when voting on bills. In doing so, we build a theory about the political conditions in which strategies like strategic voting and dimension manipulation have overcome gridlock throughout American history. Additionally, the book discusses the short-term and long-term implications of these strategies on public policy. By recognizing strategies used to overcome stalemate and their effects on policy, we gain a better understanding of how politicians navigate the legislative process and why these policy solutions often fail to adequately resolve public problems. 

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Smith, Alex P.

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein
• Rechtswissenschaften Öffentliches Recht Staats- und Verfassungsrecht
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Verwaltungswissenschaft, Öffentliche Verwaltung
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Parlament

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Changing Legislative Inertia.- Chapter 3: Roger Sherman and the Constitutional Convention of 1787.- Chapter 4: The Defeat of Henry Clay’s Omnibus Bill.- Chapter 5: Stephen Douglas and the Compromise of 1850.- Chapter 6: Lyndon Johnson and the Civil Rights Act of 1957.- Chapter 7: Democratic Leadership and the Affordable Care Act of 2010.- Chapter 8: Conclusion.

Über Autor(innen)

Alex P. Smith is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Political Science Department at the University of Iowa. Before completing his Ph.D., Alex worked in legislative politics for five years. He was previously faculty at Oklahoma State University and a Library of Congress Fellow in Congressional Policymaking from 2022-2023.