By: E. Scott Adler
For many, Congress is an institution consumed by partisan bickering and gridlock. Yet the institution's long history of addressing significant societal problems - even in recent years - seems to contradict this view. The authors of this book argue that the willingness of many voters to hold elected officials accountable for societal conditions is central to appreciating why Congress responds to problems in society despite the many reasons mustered for why it cannot. The authors show that, across decades of policy making, problem-solving motivations explain why bipartisanship is a common pattern of congressional behavior and offer the best explanation for legislative issue attention and policy change.