Congress Behaving Badly: The Rise of Partisanship and Incivility and the Death of Public Trust

Congress Behaving Badly: The Rise of Partisanship and Incivility and the Death of Public Trust examines a very real problem affecting modern American politics: the rise of partisan rancor and mistrust, as expressed through incivility (or even downright rudeness) on Capitol Hill since the 1980s. Associate Professor of Political Science Sunil Ahuja explores a number of the most shocking examples of this abrasive and hostile style, as engaged in by Gingrich, Burton, and Pelosi in the House, and by Boxer, Santorum, and Lott in the Senate. Contrasting this harsh "new style" of congressional decorum against the more civil "old style" embodied by such leaders as Foley, Hamilton, and Michel in the House, as well as Dirksen, Mansfield, and Moynihan in the Senate, Congress Behaving Badly focuses on six causes of this modern spike in partisanship. Among the culprits are political redistricting and the renewed imposition of party discipline; the increased influence of antagonistic special-interest groups; the adversarial format peddled by 24-hour news cycles; the increased use of short-term consultants; the proliferating use of "wedge issues"; and the decline of social interaction among opposing members. Ahuja proposes measures necessary to restore order and civility to Congress before the hostile fallout inflicts greater damage to the people's trust; his recommendations include the reapportioning of legislative districts; restrictions on the influence of consultants, media, or interest groups; and the regularization of social interaction among congressional opponents. A plain-spoken examination of a serious problem in American representative democracy, highly recommended - especially for anyone serving or considering service in a public office.