Party Polarization in Congress

Professor Theriault received his Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University in 2001. He is now an Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where he has received numerous teaching awards. His first book, The Power of the People: Congressional Competition, Media Attention, and Public Retribution, was published in 2005. His articles have appeared in numerous journals, including the Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Social Science History, and American Politics Research. Professor Theriault resides with his partner, Anthony Bristol, in Houston and Austin, Texas.

“Sean Theriault has done something far too rare in the study of American politics: provided a truly synthetic account of a vital political development, the dramatic polarization of Congress over the last generation. Mixing rigorous analysis with revealing stories and careful consideration of alternative explanations, Theriault’s book is a one-stop source for those wishing to understand why Republicans and Democrats just can't get along in the modern Congress.” -Jacob S. Hacker, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

• 1. Party polarization in the US Congress; Part I. Building Blocks for Explaining Party Polarization: 2. A brief history of party polarization; 3. Explanations for party polarization; Part II. Constituency Change: 4. Redistricting; 5. The political and geographic sorting of constituents; 6. Extremisms of party activists; Part III. Institutional Change: 7. Connecting constituency change to institutional change; 8. The interaction in the legislative process; 9. The link between the House and Senate; 10. Procedural polarization in the US Congress.