From Gridlock to Governance

This book is about the negotiation strategies legislators use to end stalemate. Throughout American history, legislative bodies struggle to act on controversial policy topics. By looking at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Compromise of 1850, the Civil Rights Act of 1957, and the Affordable Care Act of 2010, we gain a better understanding of how politicians try to change legislators' minds when voting on bills. In doing so, we build a theory about the political conditions in which strategies like strategic voting and dimension manipulation have overcome gridlock throughout American history. Additionally, the book discusses the short-term and long-term implications of these strategies on public policy. By recognizing strategies used to overcome stalemate and their effects on policy, we gain a better understanding of how politicians navigate the legislative process and why these policy solutions often fail to adequately resolve public problems. Alex P. Smith is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Political Science Department at the University of Iowa. Before completing his Ph.D., Alex worked in legislative politics for five years. He was previously faculty at Oklahoma State University and a Library of Congress Fellow in Congressional Policymaking from 2022-2023.