Congress, Presidents, and American Politics

Lee Hamilton is a Distinguished Scholar at Indiana University. He was a member of the US House of Representatives for 34 years and Vice Chair of the 9/11 Commission. In 2015, Hamilton was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is author of many books, including How Congress Works and Why You Should Care (IUP, 2004) and Strengthening Congress (IUP, 2009).

• Introduction1. The Johnson Years (1965–1968): A Remarkable Time to Begin in CongressPassing MedicareThe Other War in VietnamThanksgiving 1966Luncheon at the White HouseVisit to the CIAPresident Johnson Off the RecordUrban RiotsThe Regular OrderThe U.S. Role in the WorldSenate Hearings on the Vietnam WarCivil Disorder after Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.The Assassination of Robert Kennedy2. The Nixon Years (1969–1974): Accomplishments Amid TurmoilChristmas at the Nixon White HouseChanging the House Seniority SystemMeeting with Student ProtestersReducing the Voting AgeSetting up our System of GovernmentReports on Trip to War ZoneThe Pentagon PapersNixon's Trip to ChinaEvaluation of the Apollo ProgramInauguration 1973The Costs of the Vietnam WarThe Vice President's ResignationThe House Judiciary Committee and ImpeachmentAfter Watergate3. The Ford Years (1974–1976): A Needed RespiteThe PardonAs We Leave VietnamThe Middle ClassThe Women's Rights MovementPoliticiansDemocracy and CapitalismBig GovernmentCongress and Foreign Policy4. The Carter Years (1977–1980): Intra-party DiscordInauguration Day 1977Human RightsReorganizing the Federal BureaucracyThe Panama Canal TreatyAn Assessment of the Carter AdministrationThe Congressional Budget ProcessA Good Word For AmericaThe Gasoline ShortageThe Iranian Hostage CrisisDeregulation5. The Reagan Years (1981–1988): Letting the Democratic Process WorkPresident Reagan Looks at Social SecurityImproving Intelligence AnalysisThe Week the Government StoppedReflections on the 97th CongressThe Military BalanceReligion in PoliticsHow a Member DecidesThe Appeal of CongressOur Constitutional HeritageIssues of the FutureCovert Actions in a Democratic SocietyThe Reagan-Gorbachev SummitThe Budget Legacy of the Reagan YearsThe Quiet Crisis6. The George H. W. Bush Years (1989–1992): A New World OrderSDI reassessmentHouse Ethics ReformSupply-side EconomicsNational Spending PrioritiesLessons of the Great SocietyThe United States Flag and the ConstitutionThe Balanced Budget AmendmentThe President's Arms Control SpeechCongressional PerksThe Confirmation ProcessIraq and the Persian Gulf War One Year Later7. The Clinton Years (1993–2000): Opportunity LostQuestions About CongressReinventing GovernmentPublic CynicismThe Term Limit Movement and Congressional ChangeThe Contract with AmericaA Sensible Role for GovernmentThe Budget BattleCivility in CongressThe Budget SurplusThe Starr Report and the Congressional ResponseThe Work of CongressThe Record of the 105th CongressWhy Voting Matters8. The George W. Bush Years (2001–2008): A Timid CongressWhy the President Needs the Help of Congress to Make Foreign PolicyThe Merits of Citizen EngagementWhy Congress Needs to Assert ItselfOversight At LastWe Urgently Need Redistricting ReformOur Leaders Must Find a Balance on IraqWhat Politics Should Be AboutThe Ten Commandments of Citizenship9. The Obama Years (2009–2014): Continuing StrugglesIs Congress Up To The Task Before It?Polarization Will Not Disappear QuicklyHere's An Idea For Congress: Try DemocracyIn Congress, Going Big Isn't Always the AnswerIt's Not Just Congress: Citizens Also Have Room to ImproveThe Invisible LawmakersThe Justices and the Scramble for CashNow It's Time to Focus on the EconomyThe Summer of Our Discontent10. Some Concluding Thoughts

Hamilton provides a solid look at the thinking, actions, and failures from the Lyndon Johnson years to the present. . . . Hamilton's views on politicians might just renew some readers' faith in our elected officials. At once encouraging and enlightening, his writings stir hope, and what he says is still important all these years later. . . . The book—essentially an encapsulation of the author's philosophy of politics and politicians—is a good choice for those who want to believe in government again.(Kirkus Reviews) His writings will appeal to everyone interested in understanding America in the 20th and 21st centuries.(Indiana University Alumni Magazine) [R]eaders who expect dry-as-dust policy analysis or self-serving political pablum will be surprised by this delightful collection. Hamilton does far more than reproduce the original newsletters, which were written to explain current issues and Congressional procedures for the folks back home. Each newsletter is accompanied by Hamilton's insightful, often humorous, reminiscences.(Bloom Magazine) A brief review cannot do justice to Hamilton's fine book. Readers familiar with his record will find fewsurprises in his championing of civic engagement, reasoned debate, political moderation, checks and balances, and responsible governance. Others will find a brief introduction to the career, thoughts, and life's work of an important legislative leader during a particularly transformative period in American history. Congress, Presidents, and American Politics deserves a wide audience.(Indiana Magazine of History)