Artists of the Possible: Governing Networks and American Policy since 1945(Studies in Postwar American Political Development)

Do policymakers heed the voices of the American public or only the lobbyists in Washington? Why do they take action on health reform, but not gun control? Why does policymaking usually move slowly, and sometimes not at all? Artists of the Possible takes on these questions, analyzing sixty years of domestic policy history to provide a new understanding of what drives policymaking in all three branches of government. The results are surprising: public policy does not address the public's largest concerns. The amount of policy-and its liberal or conservative direction-emerges instead from coalition building and compromises among political elites. Elections, public opinion, and media coverage have little impact, no matter the issue area. Even changes in Washington's partisan balance and ideological divides fail to reliably produce shifts in policy direction. This data-rich, exhaustively researched work overturns our most basic assumptions about how policy is made, challenging the notion that our government is of, by, and for the people.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Chapter 1: The Insularity of American Policymaking Chapter 2: Aggregating Policy History Chapter 3: Does the Issue Agenda Matter? Chapter 4: The Long Great Society Chapter 5: Issue Politics and the Policy Process Chapter 6: Explaining Policy Change Conclusion

About the Author :
Matt Grossmann is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University and author of The Not-So-Special Interests.

Review :
"[Grossmann] explores adamantly the insularity of US policy makers which are not permeated by public opinion, nor elections. In six chapters only, [he] carefully places the concept of democracy under the lens of scrutiny." --International Journal of Human Rights and Constitutional Studies "This book is a significant contribution to policy studies. It is rooted in vast, meticulous research, and its 'governing networks' motif works out nicely. It throws an original light on the American policy explosion of the 1960s and 1970s." --David R. Mayhew, Sterling Professor of Political Science, Yale University "Why does government do what it does? If Matt Grossmann is right, voters, elections, polls, and the media matter less than you think, and elite networks matter more. This data-driven book maps-quite literally-the internal dynamics that govern the networks that govern the rest of us. Its arguments will intrigue and often provoke conservatives and liberals alike." --Jonathan Rauch, Contributing Editor, National Journal and the Atlantic "Artists of the Possible is certain to attract scholarly attention, spark debate, and spur new theorizing and research on American policymaking. Grossmann builds a new data set from hundreds of policy histories to challenge major approaches to understanding policy change and to formulate an alternative argument, one that raises fascinating and troubling questions about democratic government." --Thomas Mann, co-author of It's Even Worse Than It Looks "Artists of the Possible is a major achievement. Using a unique data set, intelligent analyses, and careful consideration of how policy is crafted, Grossmann makes a compelling case that governing networks are critical to the policy-making equation. ...an absolute must-read for anyone interested in public policy - or, for that matter, American politics." -The Forum