Description
Book SynopsisWhen Nebraskans voted to trade in their bicameral, partisan legislature for a one-house, nonpartisan body in 1934, it was a revolutionary decision.
One House examines the forces at work behind the unicameral's creation and chronicles the lawmakers' struggles to remain true to the populist, progressive vision of its founders and the people of Nebraska.
Trade Review"As good a single volume work on this niche subject as can be found. . . . Readership should be intense within the prime immediate audience—state senators past and present, lobbyists past and present, political science types in or out of the academe. Yet this documentary and analysis also would be a valuable examination for Nebraskans generally. . . . Berens invested substantial effort researching her subject, via interviews and the published record."—
Lincoln Journal Star“Berens writes in a relaxed style that is informative without being too technical. . . . Using surveys and interviews of current Nebraska state senators, Berens examines various aspects of unicameralism today—such as the power of lobbyists, the openness of decision making, the anticipated effects of term limits, and the influence of political party in the officially non-partisan legislature.”—
Nebraska Life"The book does make a valuable contribution that recommends it to those interested in the history and development of Nebraska's nonpartisan Unicameral. Berens succeeds in showing where the Unicameral has lived up to its promise and where it has fallen short."—James B. Johnson,
Great Plains ResearchTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgments1. One of a Kind2. Power to the People3. Let the Sun Shine In4. Forty-Nine Independent Contractors5. We, the People6. "You Lie, You're Gone"7. Promises Fulfilled?Appendix 1: Survey ResultsAppendix 2. George Norris's 1923 Article in the
New York TimesAppendix 3. George Norris's 1934 Model Legislature SpeechNotesBibliographic EssayIndex
