Clifford P. Case was an exemplary “liberal Republican” during his 33 years in Congress, including 4 terms in the U.S. Senate. A strong advocate of civil and human rights, environmental protection, high ethical standards for public officials, and U.S. global leadership, Case was a highly respected member of the GOP from 1945-1979. Even so, GOP conservatives repeatedly sought to oust Case, finally succeeding as the Republican party moved inexorably to the right. This book tells Case’s life story, his ascendancy in GOP politics, his achievements and disappointments in Congress, and his unexpected loss in the 1978 NJ GOP primary to Reagan protégé Jeffrey Bell. Case emerges as a courageous politician of principle who valued country over party and regularly formed coalitions with Democrats concerning major foreign and domestic policy issues: ending the Vietnam War, passing landmark civil rights legislation, and reasserting the Senate’s role in foreign policy oversight. The biography also analyzes the gradual decline of liberal Republican influence in the GOP, culminating in Ronald Reagan’s 1980 election and the triumph of movement conservatism. For readers who decry America’s political polarization, Case’s career demonstrates that electoral and legislative achievements need not rely on appeals to political extremes.

Is Bipartisanship Dead? is a status report on the condition of bipartisanship in the U.S. Senate and includes material from candid, on-the-record interviews with a dozen Democrats and Republicans. The book explores the distinct differences in bipartisanship in Senate committees and on the floor of the chamber and highlights the role of party leaders in promoting or discouraging bipartisan efforts. The book also asks the important question--Is bipartisanship necessarily a good thing?--and provides examples of flawed bipartisan legislation along with the views of critics of bipartisanship. Finally, the book delivers a dispassionate analysis of the vital signs of bipartisanship in the U.S. Senate and examines the constraints on bipartisan action in an era of polarized politics.

Is Bipartisanship Dead? is a status report on the condition of bipartisanship in the U.S. Senate and includes material from candid, on-the-record interviews with a dozen Democrats and Republicans. The book explores the distinct differences in bipartisanship in Senate committees and on the floor of the chamber and highlights the role of party leaders in promoting or discouraging bipartisan efforts. The book also asks the important question--Is bipartisanship necessarily a good thing?--and provides examples of flawed bipartisan legislation along with the views of critics of bipartisanship. Finally, the book delivers a dispassionate analysis of the vital signs of bipartisanship in the U.S. Senate and examines the constraints on bipartisan action in an era of polarized politics.