The politics of disability policy in the contemporary Congress confirms the observation by James Curry and Frances Lee that lawmaking largely remains a process of bipartisan accommodation. Most major disability legislation since the 1970s has passed with bipartisan sponsorship and support. One reason is that the issue affects so many Americans, including members of Congress. There have been some exceptions to this bipartisan pattern, particularly when disability policy intersects with more contentious issues. And bipartisanship does not guarantee outcomes that are satisfactory to people with disabilities.

the new political parties being created particularly in Europe such as, notably, Podemos, La France Insoumise, The Five Star Movement and the family of Pirate parties found across western and northern Europe. Gerbaudo has spent time speaking with activists, with those who created these parties, as well as with those who follow developments in the field of digital politics. He is an acute observer of broader trends in terms of the impact of new technologies, which means that this text is more or less essential reading for those of us interested in the interface between technology and political participation. In terms of the key takeaways, Gerbaudo follows closely the acerbic analysis provided by Evgeny Morozov, one of the first to puncture the techno-utopian trend in science and technology studies. It was Morozov who queried the association, more or less automatic amongst Silicon Valley gurus, that an expansion of the Internet could necessarily be equated to expanding possibilities for liberty. Morozov argued, to the contrary, that it was a useful tool in the hands of the powerful who would be able via advertising, fake news and digital manipulation to undermine our ability to advance a progressive agenda. Gerbaudo evinces a similar scepticism concerning the advent of the digital party. Born in a swirl of claims concerning enhanced participation, direct democracy, and greater transparency and accountability of leaders, he finds that this is mostly an ideological cover concealing political projects that may be well-meaning, but are certainly not to be equated with the advance of meaningful participation or deliberation. Rather, he equates these developments with the platform economy more broadly and its underpinning ideology of individualisation and instant gratification. As he notes, most digital parties have been able to grow at a surprising rate due to a business model very similar to Facebook and Reddit. The key is to open the platform at low or zero cost to anyone who has an inclination to register. It is then to offer them the opportunity to participate via discussion boards, deliberative platforms, virtual assemblies and the like offering the impression of a new and highly disruptive form of engagement. Yet, as he argues compellingly, much of this is confection. Most digital parties are tightly controlled by a ‘hyper leader’ and his immediate cadre of supporters, who paradoxically remain immune to the kinds of processes of accountability that we associate with longer standing political parties. Whilst these parties may give the impression that items like the manifesto, the programme and the mission are up for grabs, the reality is anything but.What we have is not so much participation as ‘participationism’, an ideology that makes a fetish of direct ‘unmediated’ engagement. It is in essence a form of populism albeit delivered by new technology. It is one that insists that ‘The People’ can act unhindered by mediating or representative structures, that they can directly be the authors of the party programme and its policies. The reality is that they are anything but. So this is a pretty harsh takedown of digital parties, an initiative that has often been lauded for offering a fresh start for representation. It is nonetheless an invigorating read underpinned by an unmatched feel for the implications of digital technology for organisational life. However, it is noticeably a very European story (one or two mentions of Sanders aside). It might perhaps have been interesting to reflect on what this tells us about Europe and the state of politics on the continent as opposed to how politics is developing elsewhere. Is the proliferation of digital parties a function of the nature of the electoral systems that we have in Europe, or is there something else at work, perhaps an exhaustion with the old centre-left, centre-right styles of politics, the proliferation of new kinds of political concerns such as the environment or indeed technology that is underpinning a sense of the need for new parties? One can only conjecture. What is also eye-catching is that these parties are almost always led by men, who are usually surrounded and supported in immediate terms by other men. It is of course a cliché to note that men are perhaps more given to geek-ish tendencies than women, but it is a cliché for a reason: it appears to be true that technology and the application of technology to politics has a particular fascination for men. Perhaps it is only men who dream of being ‘hyper leaders’? Perhaps the ‘participationist’ fantasy that underpins the appeal of the new parties resonates in some particular way in terms of how men see the stakes of political contestation. Whatever the case, Gerbaudo has not only compellingly answered some of the most pressing and interesting questions about these new political organisations, he has opened up a research agenda that will underpin work in digital culture for many years to come.

Ambition, Competition, and Electoral Reform: The Politics of Congressional Elections Across Time. By Jamie L. Carson and Jason M. Roberts. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2013. 192p. 30.00 paper. - Volume 13 Issue 2

AbstractLarge partisan classes in the House of Representatives are, in important ways, products of the congressional politics of preceding years. The class of 1994 is an example: understanding its origins requires a look at previous classes, especially the often-overlooked class of 1978. The class of 1994 did have a major impact on American politics, but as the fresh-faced outsiders became insiders, their power waned and their personal fortunes darkened.

Journal Article The Republican Party and Immigration Politics: From Proposition 187 to George W. Bush by Andrew Wroe Get access The Republican Party and Immigration Politics: From Proposition 187 to George W. Bushby Andrew Wroe. New York, Palgrave, 2008. 304 pp. $84.95. John J. Pitney, Jr. John J. Pitney, Jr. Claremont McKenna College Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Political Science Quarterly, Volume 124, Issue 2, Summer 2009, Pages 372–373, https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1538-165X.2009.tb01895.x Published: 25 March 2013

One must grade House Republicans on a curve. As co-partisans of President Bush, they were the party of government. As the minority in the House, they were also the party of opposition. This combination severely limited their power and political choices. Nevertheless, they did manage to win some defensive victories and score some public-relations points.

The 2006 midterm has undercut some familiar assertions about contemporary electoral politics. Political analysts seem to have overstated Republican advantages in several areas: voter turnout, campaign finance, congressional apportionment, party unity, and social issues. The GOP's loss is the discipline's gain, as the election raises good questions for scholarly research.

Political Science QuarterlyVolume 118, Issue 3 p. 527-529 Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism by Peter Schweizer John J. Pitney Jr., John J. Pitney Jr. Claremont McKenna CollegeSearch for more papers by this author John J. Pitney Jr., John J. Pitney Jr. Claremont McKenna CollegeSearch for more papers by this author First published: 25 March 2013 https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1538-165X.2003.tb01245.xAboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume118, Issue3Fall 2003Pages 527-529 RelatedInformation