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.
Neilan S. Chaturvedi is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. His research has been published in Legislative Studies Quarterly, American Politics Review, and the Journal of Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties among many others. His research and teaching interests focus on the American Congress and Presidency, race and ethnic politics, elections, and public
opinion.