Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the New American Politics
When the Democrats retook control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2007 after twelve years in the wilderness, Nancy Pelosi became the first woman speaker in American history.\ In Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the New American Politics, Ron Peters, one of America's leading scholars of Congress, and Cindy Simon Rosenthal, one of America's leading scholars on women and political leadership, provide a comprehensive account of how Pelosi became speaker and what this tells us about...
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When the Democrats retook control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2007 after twelve years in the wilderness, Nancy Pelosi became the first woman speaker in American history. In Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the New American Politics, Ron Peters, one of America's leading scholars of Congress, and Cindy Simon Rosenthal, one of America's leading scholars on women and political leadership, provide a comprehensive account of how Pelosi became speaker and what this tells us about Congress in the twenty-first century. They consider the key issues that Pelosi's rise presents for American politics, highlight the core themes that have shaped, and continue to shape, her remarkable caree, and discuss the challenges that women face in the male-dominated world of American politics, particularly at its highest levels. The authors also shed light on Pelosi's political background: first as the scion of a powerful Baltimore political family whose power base lay in East Coast urban ethnic politics, and later as a successful politician in what is probably the most liberal city in the country, San Francisco. Peters and Rosenthal trace how she built her base within the House Democratic Caucus and ultimately consolidated enough power to win the Speakership. They show how twelve years out of power allowed her to fashion a new image for House Democrats, and they conclude with an analysis of her institutional leadership style. The only full-length portrait of Nancy Pelosi in print, this superb volume offers a vivid and insightful analysis of one of America's most remarkable politicians. The Washington Post - Norm Ornstein Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not a breezy read; it has ample anecdotes that take a reader inside the personalities and intrigue in the House, but it also bolsters its points with data and political-sciency analysis. Unlike many scholars, however, the authors write clearly and have a good feel for politics. Anybody who really wants to understand who Pelosi is, how she attained this key post and parlayed it into extraordinary power and influence, and how she manages to operate so successfully in a boiling caldron of partisan and ideological division will come away much better informed after reading this book.
Preface and Acknowledgementsi1. Madam Speaker2. Getting There 3. Power in the House 4. Reaching Out 5. Gender 6. Leadership Tables Figures Bibliography
\ Library JournalHow did Nancy Pelosi overcome the gender traps that have thwarted other congresswomen to become second in line to the U.S. presidency as Speaker of the House of Representatives? Political scientists Peters and Rosenthal (both at the Carl Albert Congressional Research & Studies Ctr., Univ. of Oklahoma) believe that Pelosi's path through the congressional opportunity structure combined both traditional and novel elements. After identifying five interrelated elements of what they call the "new American politics"—partisanship, money, organization, technology, and representation—they go on to argue that Pelosi thoroughly understands these elements, and they show how she uses them to advance legislation. Pelosi's family background prepared her for her early career as a Democratic fund-raiser and party chair, and, as the authors show, she offered an innovative approach to the Democratic Party's campaign to take back control of the House of Representatives in 2006. VERDICT By examining how Pelosi uses her power, designs legislative process, and provides representative leadership for her district, state, and party, the authors present a thoughtful, scholarly, and well-documented analysis of her rise to power. Recommended for political science students and lay readers interested in the current political scene.—Jill Ortner, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.\ \ \ \ \ Norm OrnsteinSpeaker Nancy Pelosi is not a breezy read; it has ample anecdotes that take a reader inside the personalities and intrigue in the House, but it also bolsters its points with data and political-sciency analysis. Unlike many scholars, however, the authors write clearly and have a good feel for politics. Anybody who really wants to understand who Pelosi is, how she attained this key post and parlayed it into extraordinary power and influence, and how she manages to operate so successfully in a boiling caldron of partisan and ideological division will come away much better informed after reading this book.\ —The Washington Post\ \
