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Probes incivility among U.S. lawmakers, demonstrating why institutional reform will not solve gridlock in Washington

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Library Journal Review

A first-time viewer of C-SPAN might think that the disparaging remarks that members make about one another and their institution are traditional norms of behavior. Fortunately for Congress and the country, this is not the case, but comity--``the adherence to a set of norms that includes courtesy and reciprocity''--has declined, and political scientist Uslaner aims to explain why. Rejecting four prominent explanations--the Congressional reforms of the 1970s, divided control of the government, the impact of membership change, and the influence of the media--he theorizes that ``bad behavior in Congress reflects a decline in comity in the country.'' The author believes that the United States experiences cycles of incivility that are related to periods of electoral realignment, and he mines a disparate body of secondary souces to develop his argument. Many readers will disagree with some of his interpretation of the data, and some of his inferences are questionable. Still, his book raises fundamental questions about contemporary American culture and politics. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries.-- Thomas J. Baldino, Wilkes Univ., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

This ambitious book is, unfortunately, misnamed. While there is a chapter describing the decline of reciprocity and courtesy in Congress, Uslaner has a more important story to tell. Congressional nastiness is a symptom of an increasingly ill-tempered society. The most important element of this ill-temper is that we trust each other less than we did 30 years ago. This decline in trust is caused by a combination of rising expectations, a deteriorating economy, and new political groups all wanting a piece of a pie that isn't expanding any more. As a result, Congress makes bad policy because there is not enough trust among representatives (faithfully representing the lack of trust in the electorate) to overcome collective action problems. Uslaner draws on insights from rational choice and political culture approaches, and an enormous body of source material. Two points in his analysis ring especially true. It is culture more than political structure or divided government that accounts for gridlock. The most important cultural element is not lack of confidence in government but lack of trust among the people. This book deserves a wider readership than the obscure (to all but Congressional scholars) title will bring it. Recommended for upper level undergraduates and above. P. Gardner; Luther College