Research Catalog

The politics of herding cats : when congressional leaders fail

Title

The politics of herding cats : when congressional leaders fail / John Lovett.

Author

Lovett, John, 1982-

Publication

Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 2021.
©2021

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Status	Format	Access	Call Number	Item Location
Request for On-site Use Request Scan Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Schwarzman Building to submit a request in person.	Text	Use in library	JFE 21-7561	Schwarzman Building - Main Reading Room 315

Details

Description

xi, 201 pages : illustrations; 24 cm.

Summary

"In The Politics of Herding Cats, John Lovett looks at the relationship between media, Congress, and public policy, showing that leaders in Congress under normal circumstances control public policy on issue areas due to their status both within Congress and in the media by and large. When issue coverage on topics increases in media, however, other members seize on the opportunities to engage in the issue and shift public policy away from leader desires. As more members engage and more groups become involved, leaders lose the ability to control the process and are more likely to have problems actually getting public policy enacted. Lovett look at this phenomenon using newspaper coverage in the Washington Post over a 40-year period, both in terms of general analysis as well as individual case studies exploring agricultural subsidies (a low coverage topic), immigration (a changing coverage topic), and health care (a high coverage topic). As coverage increases, the amount leaders can control in the process decreases. Only under extreme circumstances, as seen in the Affordable Care Act, can leaders get anything done at all. The Politics of Herding Cats would be useful for those who wish to better understand the relationship between the media and Congress. It will also be useful to those who want to understand the relationship between actors in government and how the media has influenced American politics, as well as how individual members of Congress can go against party leaders on major issues"--

Series Statement

Legislative politics & policy making

Uniform Title

Legislative politics & policy making.

Subject

Bibliography (note)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

The failures of cat herding -- Members of Congress and the expansion of conflicts -- Member of Congress' involvement in policy and leadership response -- From outside to inside : issue coverage and congressional activity -- Agricultural subsidies : the power of leadership -- Immigration reform : early changes, later failures -- Health care policy : success and failure in the face of mass focus -- Conclusion.

Call Number

JFE 21-7561

ISBN

9780472132317
0472132318

LCCN

2020032944

OCLC

1162985806

Author

Lovett, John, 1982- author.

Title

The politics of herding cats : when congressional leaders fail / John Lovett.

Publisher

Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 2021.

Copyright Date

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Legislative politics & policy making

Legislative politics & policy making.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Chronological Term

Since 1963

Other Form:

Online version: Lovett, John Lydon, 1982- The politics of herding cats Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 2021. 9780472128457 (DLC) 2020032945

Research Call Number

JFE 21-7561

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