Filibuster - Obstruction and Lawmaking in the U.S. Senate (Paperback)

"By combining rational choice and historical institutional approaches, Wawro and Schickler have succeeded in framing the filibuster's vices--and its virtues--in new and often surprising ways. In the process, they have significantly advanced our understanding of the relationship between norms and rules, practice and structure, and individuals and institutions. "Filibuster" is one of the very best analytical studies of the U.S. Senate ever written."--Richard Bensel, Cornell University

"Wawro and Schickler deliver new insights into legislative delay and obstruction that is particular to the U.S. Senate. The book is an exemplar of modern legislative analysis that deftly blends history, formal theory, and statistical analysis to sharpen our understanding of the filibuster, both before and after the passage of Rule XXI. Practitioners and students of public policy will find plenty of original evidence about the role of the filibuster in shaping national policy. Students of legislative behavior will find a model of how to meld formal and qualitative analysis of institutional politics."--Charles Stewart, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"The authors employ an impressive mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence and the statistical analysis is state-of-the-art. The book makes a set of arguments that help to clarify the role of the Senate in American political development."--Nolan McCarty, Princeton University

"The history of the Senate has rarely before been illustrated with the amount of evidence and perspective that these two authors bring to this work. We learn a great deal about why the Senate remains so resistant to change and to limiting debate."--Wendy Schiller, BrownUniversity