Living Legislation

Durability, Change, and the Politics of American Law Making

Jenkins Jeffery A., Patashnik Eric M.

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 Legislation" provides 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 Legislation" enhances understanding of democracy, governance, and power.

Reviews

"Jenkins and Patashnik have brought together a first-rate collection of scholars to address the too-often-neglected question of what happens to American public policies after the passage of legislation. The result is a compelling work that raises many deeper questions about legislation as a developmental force in American politics. 'Living Legislation' will make an extremely important contribution to the study of American politics and public policy" – Robert C. Lieberman, Columbia University

"'Living Legislation' offers an important new perspective on policy making in the United States. In bringing together leading scholars from a variety of research traditions, this agenda-setting book shifts our attention from the enactment of landmark bills towards the broader question of what leads some legislative achievements to endure while others are reversed or fade away" – Eric Schickler, University of California, Berkeley

"The questions addressed by this diverse and formidable group of scholars are of such obvious importance that it is amazing so little work has been done on them until recently. Readers will come away impressed both with the progress made in understanding what happens to laws and policies after they are enacted as well as the pressing need for future work on the topic. 'Living Legislation' is sure to be a high-impact volume" – Frances E. Lee, University of Maryland

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