Life in the Middle

In this timely and compelling book, Chaturvedi challenges the conventional wisdom about centrists, arguing instead that they are often more likely than other senators to be caught in an ideological crossfire among different electorally important actors and thus prefer to keep their heads down during important legislative fights. He offers substantial and detailed evidence to support this argument and to flesh out in detail how legislative and electoral considerations intertwine to affect centrists' calculations. This book is an important addition to our understanding of congressional decision making and is especially relevant to current legislative battles; it will be of great interest to anyone who wants to better understand why and how Congress decides whether to enact major policies. * Chris Den Hartog, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo * Life in the Middle is a masterful book that questions our understanding of the role of moderates in the U.S. Senate. This is a must-read that sheds important light on who moderates are, what makes them tick, and how and whether they carry influence in the chamber. In an era of increasing political polarization, Chaturvedi's probing interviews and data help us better understand the role that Senate moderates play in Washington. * Christian Grose, University of Southern California * Life in the Middle describes the delicate, tricky, and precarious lives of middle-of-the-road-senators. What Chaturvedi shows is that being a 'moderate' is not what is typically described in journalist accounts. His deep dive into their electoral histories, legislative actions, and strategic position-taking demonstrates that they are in a constant attempt to simultaneously appease their constituents, their parties, and their own preferences, which is no easy feat. This book is required reading for anyone that wants to understand how the Senate operates. * Sean Theriault, The University of Texas at Austin *