Living Legislation

by Jenkins, Jeffery A.; Patashnik, Eric M.

• ISBN13: 9780226396453
• ISBN10: 0226396452
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-04-23
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

Politics is at its most dramatic during debates over important pieces of legislation. It is thus no stretch to refer to legislation as a living, breathing force in American politics. And while debates over legislative measures begin before an item is enacted, they also endure long afterward, when the political legacy of a law becomes clear. Living Legislationprovides fresh insights into contemporary American politics and public policy. Of particular interest to the contributors to this volume is the question of why some laws stand the test of time while others are eliminated, replaced, or significantly amended. Among the topics the essays discuss are 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. As an essential addition to the study of politics, Living Legislationenhances understanding of democracy, governance, and power.

Author Biography

Jeffery A. Jenkins is associate professor of politics and a faculty associate of the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. Eric M. Patashnik is professor of public policy and politics and associate dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. He is the author or editor of several books, including Reforms at Risk.

Table of Contents

Overview
Living Legislation and American Politics	p. 3
Making the Modern American Legislative State	p. 20
Studying Living Legislation: Coalitions, Durability, and Change
Durability and Change in the President's Legislative Policy Agenda, 1799-2002	p. 47
Coalition Structure and Legislative Innovation in American National Government	p. 71
The Lives and Deaths of Federal Programs, 1971-2003	p. 86
Beyond Legislative Productivity: Enactment Conditions, Subsequent Conditions, and the Shape and Life of the Law	p. 111
How Unpopular Policies Become Popular after Adoption	p. 135
Why Some Reforms Last and Others Collapse: The Tax Reform Act of 1986 versus Airline Deregulation	p. 146
Policy Durability and Agency Design	p. 175
Judicial Delimitation in the New Deal Era	p. 197
The Significance of Policy Failures in Political Development: The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration and the Growth of the Carceral State	p. 221
Reflections
Lawmaking as a Cognitive Enterprise	p. 255
The Politics of the Policymaking State	p. 265
Notes	p. 281
Contributors	p. 341
Index	p. 345
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