Rivals for Power: Presidential-Congressional Relations Fifth Edition

This collection illuminates and connects the policy, partisan, institutional, and constitutional conflicts that shape current inter-branch dynamics. — Jasmine Farrier, University of Louisville

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, University of La Verne, California

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, Chadron State College

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. ― Book News, Inc.