The Most Exclusive Club: A History of the Modern United States Senate

by Lewis L. Gould

The Senate was originally conceived by the Founding Fathers as an anti-democratic counterweight to the more volatile House of Representatives, but in the twentieth century it has often acted as an impediment to needed reforms. A hundred years ago, senators were still chosen by state legislatures, rather than by direct elections. Now, in the wake of the 2004 elections, and the consolidation of Republican control, the Senate is likely to become a crucible of power shifts that will have enormous impact on American politics in the twenty-first century. In The Most Exclusive Club , acclaimed political historian Lewis Gould puts the debates about the Senate's future into the context of its history from the Progressive Era to the war in Iraq. From charges of corruption to the occasional attempt at reform, Gould highlights the major players, issues, and debates (including the League of Nations, the McCarthy hearings, and the Iran-Contra affair) that have shaped the institution. Beyond the usual outsized figures such as Lyndon Johnson, Strom Thurmond, and Barry Goldwater, Gould also tells the story of the lesser-known Senate leaders who have played a vital role in America's upper house. Filled with colorful anecdotes, this is a long-awaited history of one of the most powerful political bodies in the world, written by a master. Gould's sweeping narrative combines deft storytelling with a fresh look at the crucible of contemporary political debate and decision-making.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, American History

416 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2005

About the author

Lewis L. Gould is Eugene C. Barker Professor Emeritus in American History at the University of Texas in Austin. Gould earned an A.B. from Brown University in 1961, and an M.A. (1962) and Ph.D. (1966) from Yale University.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books I should have read when it came out in 2005 but missed.

As a starter book for learning about why the Senate is so terrible, this one is a pretty good place to start. The book spans 100 years of Senate history in just 320 pages, pointing out that the institution has long been insulated from the rest of America because it's dominated by old white men. There were several occasions where I wish more than a few paragraphs had been devoted to a given fight, but it's also somewhat admirable that this book exercised some restraint when it came to length. The old boy's club attitude in the Senate is signified by the rampant alcoholism and womanizing that runs through its history. For this reason, this branch of government is particularly slow when comes to change. Today's Senate, though still dominated by old white men, looks very different even than it did in 2005. We'll see if it's more open to change now.

The book's secondary thesis is that internal Senate rules and heightened partisanship have moved it from a governing body to a paralyzing institution is one that's no longer novel. Progressives universally hate the filibuster, which has killed climate change legislation, the DREAM Act, and a treaty to recognize the rights of the disabled, just to name a few in recent memory. Likewise, we are well aware that we are living in a time of extreme partisanship, and Congress' inability to come to an agreement on anything is repeatedly creating fake budget crisis after fake budget crisis that no one in the American public has any patience for any longer.

Come to think of it, this book is making me angry.

Recommended for: The budding politico geek in your life.

[Leigh Koonce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to a point... The history is clear and Gould takes the time to introduce all of the major players. However, he tends to repeat himself often and makes MANY "moral" judgements regarding various politicians and their actions. Still, a very interesting read and I'm glad I finally picked it up.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shallow and repetitive. Anyone with a passing familiarity of US politics in the 20th Century will learn little new. From his on word choices and his dismissive attitudes towards some senators, the author's biases are on full display. He makes many assertions about who was an important or unimportant senator without any reasoning or data to back his claim. Not recommended.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a quick overview of the United States Senate after 1900. For those seeking a fuller, more comprehensive assessment of the upper house in the 20th and early 21st centuries , you may want to look elsewhere.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-researched and written book, the narrative flows smoothly. It also exposes the U. S. Senate as the collection of ignorant, superficial and often rotten people they are.

[Phillip · Rating 2 out of 5]

The actual book itself is a bit clunky and, at times, repetitive (I blame editors for that). I think it's a challenging enterprise to tackle the history of the U.S. Senate in the number of pages the author does -- and there are also times when there are small editorial remarks. All that being said, it is an informative book, even though it's really only the 20th Century history of the U.S. Senate. The book describes the evolution of party leaders, i.e., majority leader, minority leader, whips, etc. The book also explains how the Senate was established and acted in a counter-majoritarian manner to the House, after all the Senate was not popular elected until the beginning of the 20th Century (and one can argue whether it was better under the old system of allowing state legislatures to elect them).

I think one of the more interesting veins throughout the book is the continuing role of race in Senate debates. The history of the United States is, certainly, all about race -- from the comprises in the Constitution, to the Civil War, to constitutional amendments, etc. It's just so distracting (but real!) that almost any issue then goes to the Southern senators being upset about how this will affect the way blacks are treated (and I'm not talking 1960s, I'm talking 1910s!). I did not know Henry Ford had run for Senate (and barely lost), that two senators were not seated in 1928 because the Senate was offended by campaign finance issues, that LBJ only became majority leader by getting an independent senator to change sides, and the continuing issue of alcoholism in the chamber.

This book does do a good (albeit clunky) job of showing the evolution (de-evolution?) of Senate debate/discussion, it's becoming more like the House, and what the rise of media and money have done. It does make me wonder whether C-SPAN2 has actually helped any? What do we see on there that helps us know how the Senate works any better?

So there's a lot of good info in here, it's just not the greatest written book in my opinion.

[Allen Garvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly short, very readable history of the 20th century Senate, starting out in 1900 with some back history, and then tracing the legislative body's history by examining the major controversies of various periods and the Senate's relationship with the president. Major parts are the change to direct election, the fight over the League of Nations, the Depression & New Deal, WWII, McCarthy, LBJ, the Civil Rights era, and then everything is quickly wrapped up with the last quarter century or so. Mostly a story of personalities, and conflict with the executive branch. It's really suprising how little the House of Reps is even mentioned (3 or 4 times total, and only passingly). Not a perfect book: the focus on the Senators is cynical and perhaps simplistic at times. The author is a bit too willing to toss out simple conclusions and summaries of complex events. And his bias against conservatives becomes pretty apparent in the chapters on the recent history, when he changes the tone to making judgments about the senate not "doing its constitutional duty", and the like. Still, there's some good information in here about the development of the modern filibuster and the tweaks to rule 22 over the years.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful, but if I didn't work around senators all day I don't know if it would have held my interest as much. A good amount of amusing anecdotes and a good explanation of Senate procedures and how they've changed.

[Mark Heydlauff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gould gives a very good overview of Senate history. The focuses both on the development of the Senate as an institution and on some of the colorful characters that have been elected to it.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history of the last 100 years of the Senate. Once again, if you're a fan of politics, read it.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, way to make an otherwise interesting subject boring. A shame that this book didn't take as much advantage over such a richly historic entity.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a book to be read if you're sleepy, but keep reading. Filled to the brim with information that will help you see the Senate as you've never seen it before.

[Yichen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stopped on chapter 9