Between The Branches

The White House Office of Legislative Affairs

Collier brings a firm grasp of the existing literature, first-hand examination of documents in presidential libraries, and elite interviews collected from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. The product is a thoroughly documented account of how presidents seek to influence Congress as well as how Congress registers reciprocal effects on the president.
Joseph A. Pika

Because of the power-fearing drafters of the U.S. Constitution, the president’s tools for influencing Congress are quite limited. Presidents have had to look beyond the formal powers of the office to push a legislative agenda. In Between the Branches, a book of unprecedented depth, Kenneth Collier traces the evolution of White House influence in Congress over nine adminstrations, from Eisenhower to Clinton. It will enlighten students of the presidency, Congress, and all those interested in American politics.

about the author

Kenneth Collier

Kenneth Collier is assistant professor of political science at the University of Kansas. He is the recipient of grants from the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, Everett Dirksen Center, and the University of Kansas.

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Kenneth Collier