Donald C. Baumer is a professor of Government at Smith College. He is the co-author, with Carl E. Van Horn, of "The Politics of Unemployment" (CQ Press 1985) and three editions of "Politics and Public Policy" (CQ Press 1989, 1992, 2001), co-authored with Carl E. Van Horn and William T. Gormley, Jr., and several articles on employment policy, Democratic leadership in the Senate, and party images held by the electorate.