The Filibuster: Obstruction, Reform, and Senate Power
As candidates openly campaign on changing Senate cloture rules, these books explain how the filibuster became the defining chokepoint of American lawmaking and what abolishing or reforming it would actually mean.
Optimized for books about books that explain the Senate filibuster, why it causes gridlock, and the debate over reforming or ending it.
Tyranny of the MinoritySteven Levitsky, Daniel ZiblattLevitsky and Ziblatt analyze how democratic institutions enable minority obstruction and propose institutional reforms...Shelf signal: National Government
It's Even Worse Than It LooksThomas E. Mann, Norman J. OrnsteinMann and Ornstein provide a foundational account of hyperpartisanship and congressional breakdown that explains why the...Shelf signal: Congress & Legislatures
Dark MoneyJane MayerJane Mayer’s investigation of dark money and elite influence clarifies incentives that make procedural blocks...Shelf signal: Elections & Campaigns
Blacklisted by HistoryM. Stanton EvansEvans’s history of McCarthy era minority obstruction offers historical precedents for Senate procedural abuses and...Shelf signal: Cold War History
The Most Dangerous BranchDavid A. KaplanKaplan’s inside look at the Supreme Court complements understanding of how institutions concentrate power and affect...Shelf signal: Courts & the Judiciary
The Soul of AmericaJon MeachamMeacham provides a broad historical perspective on American democratic resilience useful for readers weighing...Shelf signal: 20th-Century America