Living Legislation: Durability, Change, and the Politics of American Lawmaking

By: William J. Novak and Jeffrey E. Cohen and David R. Mayhew and William G. Howell and Forrest Maltzman and Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha and Barry C. Burden and Vesla M. Weaver and Stuart Chinn and Sidney M. Milkis and Amihai Glazer and Sean Gailmard and David E. Lewis and Charles R. Shipan and Christopher R. Berry

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Synopsis: Political scholars examine the dynamic evolution of laws over time in a volume that &“pushes the frontiers of knowledge about lawmaking in the US&” (Choice). Politics is at its most dramatic during debates over important pieces of legislation. And while debates over legislative measures can rage for years or even decades before an item is enacted, they also endure long afterward, when the political legacy of a law eventually comes into focus. With a diverse set of contributors—including quantitative political scientists, political development scholars, historians, and economists—Living Legislation provides fresh insights into contemporary American politics and public policy. Many of the contributors to this volume focus on the question of why some laws stand the test of time while others are eliminated, replaced, or significantly amended. Others discuss how laws emerge from—and effect change within—coalition structures; the effectiveness of laws at mediating partisan conflicts; and the ways in which laws interact with broader shifts in the political environment. An essential addition to the study of politics, Living Legislation enhances understanding of democracy, governance, and power.