The South China Sea and U.S.-China Rivalry
Andrew Scobell analyzes why the South China Sea has become a central matter in U.S.–China relations. He contends that geopolitics explains why this body of water has become such a contentious issue.

Humanitarianism, State Sovereignty, and Authoritarian Regime Maintenance in the Syrian War
Reinoud Leenders and KHOLOUD MANSOUR discuss the war in Syria. They argue that since 2011 the Syrian regime has used UN-led humanitarian assistance to bolster its claims on state sovereignty and to support its wider efforts of authoritarian regime maintenance.

The Nays Have It: How Rampant Blame Generating Distorts American Policy and Politics
R. Kent Weaver examines the impact of blame generating in American politics on policymaking as well as electoral competition. He claims that pervasive blame generating narrows the range of alternatives considered by policymakers, promotes policy stalemate, and complicates implementation of controversial policies.

Medicaid Politics in New York: Vested Interests and Policy-Focused Analysis
DANIEL DISALVO looks at the behavior and role of labor unions and hospitals in shaping New York’s Medicaid program. He finds that group pressures explain why New York’s Medicaid program is more expensive and more generous than those of other states.

Not Waiting for Washington: Climate Policy Adoption in California and New York
ROGER KARAPIN explains the adoption of climate change policies by the California and New York state governments during the 2000s. He argues that despite structural barriers the convergence of problem and political events created policy windows that broad advocacy coalitions used to attain major policies.

The Imprint of Congress, David R. Mayhew
Reviewed by Frances E. Lee

The Politics of Weapons Inspections: Assessing WMD Monitoring and Verification Regimes, Nathan E. Busch and Joseph F. Pilat
Reviewed by James J. Wirtz

Nuclear Politics: The Strategic Causes of Proliferation, Alexandre Debs and Nuno P. Monteiro
Reviewed by Matthew Fuhrmann

Investigating the President: Congressional Checks on Presidential Power, Douglas L. Kriner and Eric Schickler
Reviewed by Andrew Rudalevige

Read My Lips: Why Americans Are Proud to Pay Taxes, Vanessa S. Williamson
Reviewed by Leslie McCall

When Bad Policy Makes Good Politics: Running the Numbers on Health Reform, Robert P. Saldin
Reviewed by Daniel Skinner

Free Speech Beyond Words: The Surprising Reach of the First Amendment, Mark V. Tushnet, Alan K. Chen and Joseph Blocher ; The Taming of Free Speech: America's Civil Liberties Compromise, Laura Weinrib
Reviewed by Ronald K.L. Collins

Fighting for Status: Hierarchy and Conflict in World Politics, Jonathan Renshon
Reviewed by Deborah Welch Larson

All Measures Short of War: The Contest for the 21st Century and the Future of American Power, Thomas J. Wright
Reviewed by Paul K. MacDonald

The Dual Executive: Unilateral Orders in a Separated and Shared Power System, Michelle Belco and Brandon Rottinghaus
Reviewed by Jacob R. Neiheisel

Dismantling Solidarity: Capitalist Politics and American Pensions since the New Deal, Michael A. McCarthy
Reviewed by Carolyn Abott

The New Americans? Immigration, Protest, and the Politics of Latino Identity, Heather Silber Mohamed
Reviewed by Angel Saavedra Cisneros

Opting Out of Congress: Partisan Polarization and the Decline of Moderate Candidates, Danielle M. Thomsen
Reviewed by ROBERT G. BOATRIGHT

An Extraordinary Time: The End of the Postwar Boom and the Return of the Ordinary Economy, Marc Levinson
Reviewed by Gabriel Mathy

Out of the Horrors of War: Disability Politics in World War II America, Audra Jennings
Reviewed by Aimee Medeiros

A Third Term for FDR: The Election of 1940, John W. Jeffries
Reviewed by Emile Lester

Homelessness in New York City: Policymaking from Koch to de Blasio, Thomas J. Main
Reviewed by Daniel Herman

Contested Transformation: Race, Gender, and Political Leadership in 21st Century America, Carol Hardy-Fanta, Pei-te Lien and Dianne Pinderhughes
Reviewed by Heather Silber Mohamed

Race and the Politics of Deception: The Making of an American City, Christopher Mele
Reviewed by Paru Shah

Asymmetric Politics: Ideological Republicans and Group Interest Democrats, Matt Grossmann and David A. Hopkins
Reviewed by Elizabeth N. Simas

Economic Voting: A Campaign-Centered Theory, Austin Hart
Reviewed by Julia Azari

The American Political Pattern: Stability and Change, 1932–2016, Byron E. Shafer
Reviewed by Timothy P. Nokken

Congress's Constitution: Legislative Authority and the Separation of Powers, Josh Chafetz
Reviewed by Michael Gerhardt

In Rome We Trust: The Rise of Catholics in American Political Life, Manlio Graziano
Reviewed by David T. Buckley

Voting Together: Intergenerational Politics and Civic Engagement among Hmong Americans, Carolyn Wong
Reviewed by Kau Vue