J.G.A. Pocock and the idea of the ‘Cambridge School’ in the history of political thought

This article offers a reinterpretation of the origins and character of the so-called ‘Cambridge School’ in the history of political thought by reconstructing the intellectual background to J.G.A. Pocock's 1962 essay ‘The History of Political Thought: A Methodological Enquiry’, typically regarded as the first statement of a ‘Cambridge’ approach. I argue that neither linguistic philosophy nor the celebrated work of Peter Laslett exerted a major influence on Pocock's work between 1948 and 1962. Instead, I emphasise the importance of Pocock's interest in the history of historiography and of his doctoral supervisor, Herbert Butterfield. By placing Pocock's intellectual development in these contexts, I suggest, the autonomy of diverse versions of the ‘Cambridge’ approach can more readily be perceived.     

A Review of “The Power of Money in Congressional Campaigns, 1880–2006”

Bader, John B. Taking the Initiative: Leadership Agendas in Congress and the "Contract with America." Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 1996. Pp. xiv, 278. $19.95, softbound.

Campbell, James E. Cheap Seats: The Democratic Party's Advantage in U.S. House Elections. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1996. Pp. xxiv, 336. $22.00, softbound.

Evans, C. Lawrence and Walter J. Oleszek. Congress Under Fire: Reform Politics and the Republican Majority. New York: Houghton Miffin Company, 1997. Pp. xiii, 190. $15.56, softbound.

Koopman, Douglas L. Hostile Takeover: The House Republican Party, 1980-1995. Lanham, MD: Rowman &; Littlefield Publishers, 1996. Pp. viii, 181. $21.95, softbound.

Loomis, Burdett A. The Contemporary Congress. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996. Pp. xii, 196. $45.00 hardbound, $21.95 softbound.     

A Review of “The Presidential Pardon Power”

James E. Anderson and Jared E. Hazelton, Managing Macroeconomic Policy: The Johnson Presidency. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1986. Pp. 285; $27.50.

Kathleen J. Turner, Lyndon Johnson's Dual War: Vietnam and the Press. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985. Pp. 385; $25.00 hardbound; $9.95 softbound.

Daniel C. Hallin, The "Uncensored War": The Media and Vietnam. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. Pp. 285; $24.95.