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The first President Bush faced a long-entrenched Democratic majority in both houses of Congress. In his first term, Clinton entered into a unified government for the first time in many years, but all that changed in the mid-term elections of 1994. The second President Bush faces a closely divided government whose balance could shift at any time. Through it all, the presidential-Congressional rivalry continues unabated. What is it about the institutional relationship between Congress and the presidency that ensures conflict even in the face of necessary co-operation? The contributors to this volume explore both branches of government and what unites as well as divides them. There are chapters on budgetary politics in a time of surplus, the impacts of campaign messages and election mandates, and Congressional-presidential relations during transitions. Case studies of budget battles, health care task forces and armed conflicts in foreign lands lend concrete detail to political theory. The chapters also benefit from first-hand experience on the Hill, in the Oval Office and in the American government arena.