The House: The History of the House of Representatives

by Robert V. Remini

Book Overview

Throughout America's history, the House has played a central role in shaping the nation's destiny. In this incomparable single-volume history, distinguished historian Robert V. Remini traces the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060884347
• ISBN13: 9780060884345
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 614 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A good start to US political history

The House provides an accessible summary of the political history of the United States through the lens of the House of Representatives. It covers the key controversies of Presidential power, state vs. federal and legislative battles between parties. It does an excellent job of looking at how the role of the Speaker has changed and focusing on the two most powerful speakers Henry Clay and Sam Rayburn. It is very easy to read and quick for those with a good background in US history who can focus on the complexities of the house. I agree with many of the other reviewers that for those who have a major interest in US history will find this lacking in substance as the author could have gone into much greater detail. Overall though it provides a decent summary and can be used as a jumping point for finding what other areas in US political history one wishes to read further into.

An Important Synthesis of the History of the U.S. House of Representatives

As one would expect from a talented and productive historian such as Robert Remini, this is a breezy, insightful account of the House of Representatives from 1789 to the recent past. Remini breaks new ground in writing the history of the House of Representatives. He manages to cover the foundation of the House from the British two house system through the endless debate in the Continental Congress and Articles of Confederation years. The text is very readable as Remini moves forward from 1789 to the present, covering major aspects of the history of the House of Representatives. Not surprisingly for a scholar of Jacksonian America, he is at his best in discussing the antebellum era of Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, and others. Also fascinating, is his recounting of recent events made possible through a large number of interviews. Remini remarked that he had never tried to write an institutional history before, and that he approached this work with some trepidation. The work had been mandated by the House of Representatives, asking the Librarian of Congress to oversee the effort. Remini was not the first choice to write this history, but David McCullough chose not to take on the task. Remini approached his assignment with relish, and the result reflects that enthusiasm. He includes in this work many fascinating stories of the "People's House," as he originally wanted to title the book. The flaws in this work, and there are certainly a few of importance, result it seems to me from two basic issues. First, the work suffers from the restrictive schedule imposed by the House of Representatives to complete it. Second, as a scholar of the antebellum period of American history Remini has a tremendous mastery of the material of that era. He is weakest in background in the first half of the twentieth century and the book reflects this lack of in-depth knowledge. His story recovers in the period since World War II because he could draw on oral histories with many members and former members of the House of Representatives. Clearly this is a major work about the House of Representatives, a body that has needed an official history for years. It will be useful as an accessible overview and synthesis of the subject more than as an in-depth, analytical, thesis driven historical monograph. Many such specialized studies on individual eras and themes exist, and this work helps provide connective tissue between them. The Society for History in the Federal Government just awarded Remini's "The House" its George Pendleton Prize given for an outstanding major publication on the federal government's history produced by or for a federal history program. This book certainly deserves that honor.

Excellent look at the development of the House

A few months ago, I read The Most Exclusive Club, Lewis Gould's history of the modern U.S. Senate. When I saw that a book about the House of Representatives was coming out, I knew that it would be a good companion piece to Gould's book. Then I saw it was by Robert Remini, the fabulous biographer of Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay and Daniel Webster and knew that this book was a must-read. And though Remini has expanded beyond the Jacksonian era he has specialized in, he has still written a great book. Naturally enough, Remini starts at the beginning of the House in 1789. In the early going, the institution was trying to define itself and its role in the government. With travel to the capital so difficult (first in New York, then Philadelphia and finally Washington), it wasn't surprising that most Congressmen served only a couple terms. Although there were big names in the first Congresses (such as James Madison), few stood out for their actual work in the institution. That would come with the next generation in the early 1800s: Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and John Calhoun would thrust the House into greater prominence. Clay in particular is something of a star, transforming the Speakership into a position of power. In the tug of war between Congress and the Presidency, first one side would have the advantage, then the other, but in the antebellum era, the legislative branch probably had the edge overall. Unfortunately, as regional differences grew greater, the level of debate got lower and sometimes even descended into violence. Nonetheless, Remini has even less good to say about the post-Civil War House, which was ineffective and filled with corruption. In the 20th century, probably the greatest single development was the rise of the perpetual politician; Congressmen (and eventually Congresswomen) began serving for decades instead of just a few sessions. As a result, seniority came to be a big issue, and the South (where representatives were rarely ousted) came to dominate committees and clog up legislation, particularly on civil rights. Eventually, some of this would be cleaned up, but new issues would rise as Congress entered the present era, as the members became constant campaigners and more media-savvy. Essentially, within 500 pages, we get a history of the United States from the perspective of the House of Representatives. In addition, in appendices, we get lists of all the Speakers and Congressional leaders as well as sergeants-at-arms and other positions as well as other miscellaneous information. Overall, Remini retains objectivity, even with more recent politics. For example, while he is critical of Newt Gingrich for making reducing civility in the House, this is not a criticism of Gingrich's politics but rather his behavior. Remini has plenty of good and bad to say about both Republicans and Democrats. This is one reason that his book is better than Gould's decent but sometimes slanted book; another reason is that Re