"This book could not be more timely. Kyvig provides a rich and comprehensive history of the politics and operation of the amending process. It deserves the attention of not only historians, political scientists, and legal scholars, but also those concerned with public affairs". -- david M. O'Brien, author of Storm Center: The Supreme Court in American Politics. "A lively challenge to traditional views". -- William Leuchtenburg, author of The Supreme Court Reborn.

This first historical study of U.S. budget policy covering the last three decades places the budget at the center of modern American politics and adds an important dimension to the understanding of recent events.