Masters of the House
Subtitle: Congressional leadership over two centuries
By: Roger H. Davidson, Susan Webb Hammond, Raymond W. Smock.
Contributors: Davidson, Roger H.; Hammond, Susan Webb.; Smock, Raymond.
Series: Transforming American politics
Publisher: Westview Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Boulder, Colo
Language: eng
Number of pages: 345
Subjects: United States. Congress. House -- Speakers -- History; United States. Congress. House -- Leadership -- History; Political leadership -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
Description: Much of this nation's political life and public policy have been shaped by a handful of powerful people - the leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives. Masters of the House identifies enduring patterns of House leadership, explaining the effects of such factors as party strength, White House-congressional relations, leaders' formal prerogatives, members' expectations, public attitudes, shifts in the policy agenda, and leaders' personal attributes and style.

Ten chapters cover such colorful and diverse personalities as Henry Clay, Joe Cannon, Hale Boggs, and Tip O'Neill. Coeditors Roger Davidson, Susan Hammond, and Raymond Smock have blended essays by political scientists, historians, and journalists into an integrated treatment of House leadership over time, including an analysis of emerging trends in the 1990s.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.