Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAn essential work of congressional history.
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Kirkus ReviewsAnd [Lawrence] was about a month from publishing The Class of ’74: Congress After Watergate and the Roots of Partisanship, his timely book on the uses and abuses of congressional power.
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NewsweekThis is an exceptionally useful study of congressional dynamics. Taking full measure of how House members actually think and act, the author includes telling anecdotes sprinkled with occasional salty language. Highly recommended.
—R. Heineman, Alfred University,
ChoiceThe Class of '74 is an interesting, readable exposition about the reformers, their struggle to transform the legislative branch, and the consequences of their choices. Reading The Class of '74 reveals as much about Congress today as it does about Congress 44 years ago. Lawrence, a visiting professor at the University of California who spent several years serving as chief of staff to then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), tells a story that is not only interesting in its own right but helps explain, in Frum's words, how we got here.
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Law and LibertyIn the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats won more new seats in the House of Representatives than at any other time since the Watergate scandal. But few Americans know much about the 1974 elections that occurred in the wake of that scandal. John A. Lawrence's compelling new book,
The Class of '74, seeks to correct that deficit. Lawrence worked in the House for nearly four decades, allowing him to translate often-arcane congressional rules and procedures into clear, readable prose . . . But Lawrence also holds a Ph.D. in history, and
The Class of '74 is as rigorously researched and nuanced as any academic work—with the potential to reach a wider audience interested in politics . . . As the media focuses on a largely Democratic class of newcomers who defy the status quo, Lawrence's engaging book connects these developments to a longer history of congressional reform.
—Stacie Taranto, Ramapo College of New Jersey,
Journal of American HistoryLawrence combines his thirty-eight years of Hill experience with an historian's eye to tell the story of those who occupied the House of Representatives during "a hinge point in history." While others have certainly chronicled the congressional reforms of the 1970s writ-large, few have done so from a practitioner's point of view . . . Academics and practitioners alike should find this book to be a valuable resource. So too will the young staffer, legislative liaison officer, or lobbyist entering the realm of Capitol Hill politics. Lawrence's insights provide a welcome, fresh analysis that is of both historical and contemporary value.
—Colton C. Campbell, National War College,
Congress and the PresidencyTable of ContentsPreface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Toothless, Sapless, and Secretive
2. Seeds of Rebellion
3. The Class
4. The Reinforcements
5. The Revolution
6. Time to Put on the Long Pants
7. Thermidor
8. The Republican Reformers
9. Revolution or Skirmish?
10. Before You Can Save the World, Save Your Seat
11. Coda for Reform
12. Reform and the Rise of Polarization
Conclusion
Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
Index
