Nelson W. Polsby, who marshaled intellectual rigor, lucid writing and a knack for drawing striking lessons from real-life observation in his enduring studies of Congress and the presidency, died on Tuesday at his home in Berkeley, Calif. He was 72.
The cause was complications of congestive heart failure, his daughter Emily Polsby said.
Mr. Polsby, a political scientist, wrote or edited at least 15 books and scores of articles and edited The American Political Science Review, the most prestigious political science journal. He was especially known for his studies of Congress, the presidency, political parties, policy making and the media.
In an interview with Harry Kreisler of the Institute for International Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2002, Mr. Polsby said it was all so much fun that he at first had trouble believing “people paid you American money to study this stuff.”
Nelson W. Polsby, 72, Author and a Scholar of Politics, Dies
The New York Times, February 9, 2007