The Most Exclusive Club: A History of the Modern United States Senate - Hardcover

Gould, Lewis L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465027784 ISBN 13: 9780465027781

Publisher: Basic Books, 2005

Synopsis

The Senate was originally conceived by the Founding Fathers as an anti-democratic counterweight to the more volatile House of Representatives, but in the twentieth century it has often acted as an impediment to needed reforms. A hundred years ago, senators were still chosen by state legislatures, rather than by direct elections. Now, in the wake of the 2004 elections, and the consolidation of Republican control, the Senate is likely to become a crucible of power shifts that will have enormous impact on American politics in the twenty-first century. In The Most Exclusive Club , acclaimed political historian Lewis Gould puts the debates about the Senate's future into the context of its history from the Progressive Era to the war in Iraq. From charges of corruption to the occasional attempt at reform, Gould highlights the major players, issues, and debates (including the League of Nations, the McCarthy hearings, and the Iran-Contra affair) that have shaped the institution. Beyond the usual outsized figures such as Lyndon Johnson, Strom Thurmond, and Barry Goldwater, Gould also tells the story of the lesser-known Senate leaders who have played a vital role in America's upper house. Filled with colorful anecdotes, this is a long-awaited history of one of the most powerful political bodies in the world, written by a master. Gould's sweeping narrative combines deft storytelling with a fresh look at the crucible of contemporary political debate and decision-making.

About this title

About the Author:

Lewis L. Gould is the Eugene C. Barker Centennial Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Texas and the author of The Modern American Presidency, Reform and Regulation, and Grand Old Party . He lives in Austin, Texas.

Review:

Gould (Grand Old Party, 2003, etc.) provides a judgmental history of the 21st-century U.S. Senate. Gould tries to demystify the personalities and procedures of the modern Senate. Where many writers have lauded the vision and classical debate of the Senate chamber, Gould depicts hubris and archaic procedures. He reduces many senators' motivations to ambition, sometimes impugning motives without detailed proof. Gould argues that mass media and rising campaign costs changed the Senate from an elitist bastion of private deliberation to a publicly televised partisan spectacle. Yet for a history of a famously deliberative body, there are few excerpts from actual debates or hearings. (Senator Robert Byrd's books on the Senate are better primary sources.) Gould is more neutral and lively when he turns to the ramifications of historic clashes between senators and presidents. He recounts how Senator Robert La Follette's fiery antiwar speeches led Theodore Roosevelt to dub him "the most sinister enemy of the democracy in the United States." The bitter relationship between President Wilson and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Henry Cabot Lodge doomed the League of Nations. And the Senate's indignation with FDR's high-handed treatment paved the way for the firm opposition and eventual defeat of his gambit to pack the Supreme Court. Gould also finds fault with several Senate eras. At the turn of the century, widespread alcoholism hindered the institution; before World Wars I and II, the Senate was myopically isolationist; at mid-century, it callously ignored civil rights and women's equality; after Watergate, senators obsessed over publicity and fundraising. Gould is particularly disappointed that today's Senate is "driven primarily by partisanship and pork." Straightforward and unsentimental; no one can accuse Gould of falling in love with his subject. (Kirkus Reviews)

About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0465027784
• ISBN 13: 9780465027781
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416