The Collaborative Congress
Reaching Common Ground in a Polarized House

An in-depth study of how members of Congress work together to create policy in a polarized legislature.

Alison W. Craig (Author)

9781009338295, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 February 2025

260 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.4 cm, 0.381 kg

'Recommended.' F. Kraus, Choice

The Collaborative Congress is an in-depth study of how members work together to create policy in a polarized legislature. While the modern Congress is characterized by partisanship and conflict, members frequently look for opportunities to find common ground on substantive policy. This book challenges the conventional narrative of a hopelessly dysfunctional legislature by revealing the widespread use of collaboration for successful policymaking. Drawing on a new dataset of communication between members, social network analysis, and qualitative interviews, chapters demonstrate that nearly every member engages in collaboration across a broad array of issues. The book identifies the strategic and political considerations that influence a member's decision to collaborate and shows that collaborative legislation is more successful at every stage of the policymaking process. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.

1. Collaboration in congress (Yes, it Exists!)
2. Social exchange in congress
3. Identifying policy collaboration
4. The breadth and substance of collaborative issues
5. The most (and least collaborative members of Congress
6. The interdependence of collaborative relationships
7. Legislative benefits of collaboration
8. The future of collaboration.

Subject Areas: Constitution: government & the state [JPHC]