Politics and power : the United States Senate, 1869-1901

David Rothman intensively analyzes the history of the United States Senate in the years following the Civil War, a period traditionally accepted as the zenith of corruption in American life. The author concludes that an undue emphasis on the failings of the time has obscured a significant phase in the history of free institutions in America. During this era, the Senate underwent a radical transformation: it assumed its modern form. Party leadership and machinery took on their contemporary importance. This vital alteration, its causes and implications, supplies the theme of his study. Foreword Acknowledgments CONTENTS TABLES Charts Illustrations Introduction Part One. The Origins of the Modern Senate I. THE LIMITS OF PARTY II. THE DYNAMICS OF LEADERSHIP III.THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS Part Two. Politics and Society The Elements of Change IV. THE ASCENT TO POWER V.THE POLITICAL PROFESSION VI. THE STRUCTURE OF STATE POLITICS VII. THE BUSINESS OF INFLUENCE VIII. IN DEFENSE OF PARTY GOVERNMENT Part Three. The Uses of Power IX. THE PEOPLE AND THEIR GOVERNMENT Appendixes. Bibliographical Note. Notes. Index APPENDIX A. PROCEDURES FOLLOWED IN PRESENTING THE CAREERS OF UNITED STATES SENATORS APPENDIX Β. PARTY MEMBERSHIP, SOCIAL ORIGINS, AND POLITICAL CAREERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE NOTES INDEX