In 1994, the Republican Party won control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 1954 and the Senate for the first time since 1986, bringing to an end the longest uninterrupted period of single party rule in the entire history of the United States Congress. In this text, scholars from Britain and the United States document these developments and evaluate their significance. They aim to answer the following questions: what political messages did the 1994 election results carry?; how significant were the institutional changes introduced?; how distinctive was Newt Gingrich's style and strategy?; how conservative was the legislation enacted by the 104th Congress?; how in the course of a single Congress was President Bill Clinton able to evolve from political irrelevant to major policy player?; how were despondent congressional Democrats able to recover to play an important role in shaping legislative outcomes?; are there many similarities with the Republican Congress which faced President Harry Truman in the 1940s?; and what is the significance of the 104th Congress for the future development of this complex institution and the governing of America.

An electoral earthquake hit the American political landscape in 1994. As the Republican Party won control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 1954 and control of the Senate for the first time since 1986, the longest uninterrupted period of single party rule in the entire history of the United States Congress came to an end. The new congressional majorities were the most conservative in 50 years and immediately proceeded to dominate the political agenda in Washington. Scholars from Britain and the United States document these momentous developments, evaluating their impact on America's political institutions and political culture and their significance for the future development of American politics and government.