The Gingrich Senators: The Roots of Partisan Warfare in Congress

The Senate of the mid twentieth century, which was venerated by journalists, historians, and senators alike, is today but a distant memory. Electioneering on the Senate floor, playing games with the legislative process, and questioning your fellow senators' motives have become commonplace. In this book, noted political scientist Sean Theriault documents the Senate's demise over the last 30 years by showing how one group of senators has been at the forefront of this transformation. He calls this group the "Gingrich Senators" and defines them as Republican senators who previously served in the House after 1978, the year of Newt Gingrich's first election to the House. He shows how the Gingrich Senators are more conservative, more likely to engage in tactics that obstruct the legislative process, and more likely to oppose Democratic presidents than even their fellow other Republicans. Phil Gramm, Rick Santorum, Jim DeMint, and Tom Coburn are just four examples of the group that has includes 40 total senators and 22 currently serving senators. Theriault first documents the ideological distinctiveness of the Gingrich Senators and examines possible explanations for it. He then shows how the Gingrich Senators behave as partisan warriors, which has radically transformed the way the Senate operates as an institution, by using cutthroat tactics, obstructionism, and legislative games. He concludes the book by examining the fate of the Gingrich Senators and the future of the U.S. Senate.

About the Author :
Associate Professor of Government, University of Texas; author of Party Polarization in Congress (Cambridge UP, 2008)

Review :
"Theriault makes a strong argument that the primary source of ideological polarization in today's Senate stems from the 'Gingrich Senators, ' the Republican senators who previously served in the US House, and were elected to the House after 1978, when Newt Gingrich was first elected... Party polarization in Congress is undoubtedly one of the most pressing policy-making challenges in the US, making this analysis particularly timely and relevant. Theriault's research offers both a compelling, readable explanation of polarization and a foundation for further research... Highly recommended." --CHOICE "In The Gingrich Senators, Sean M. Theriault makes the initially stunning, but ultimately convincing, case that polarization and partisanship in the Senate has its roots in the House." --Congress & the Presidency "The patterns that Theriault uncovers are intriguing....This is a must-read for congressional scholars, and it demonstrates a fascinating pattern of behavior that has important consequences for the character of the modern Senate." --Political Science Quarterly