The Political and Legislative History that Underlies the Farm Bill

First paragraph: In The Fault Lines of Farm Policy, Jonathan Coppess explores the evolution of the farm bill through the political and congressional interests representing the United States’ three main com­modity production regions: the South, the Mid­west, and the Great Plains. Coppess combines analysis of his direct involvement in the legislative and executive branches’ farm bills in 2008 and 2014 with exten­sive historical, contemporary political, and legisla­tive analyses in his current academic role. Coppess served in the U.S. Senate and at the U.S. Depart­ment of Agriculture (USDA) from 2006 to 2013. These rich descriptions explain the underpinnings of congressional efforts and identify the drivers of American farm policy development. . . .