In 1997, he was commissioned by the non-partisan Twentieth Century Fund to write The New Federalist Papers: Essays in Defense of the Constitution, with Alan Brinkley and Kathleen M. Sullivan. In addition to his work on American politics, he cowrote ''British Government and its Discontents' (1981) with Geoffrey Peter Smith. Polsby often used humor to make his political writing more accessible and was frequently quoted by reporters. He is credited with reshaping both academic understanding and public awareness of governmental institutions. Polsby died February 6, 2007, in Berkeley, California, from heart disease. Awards 1985, Wilbur Cross Medal, Yale University 2003, Frank Goodnow Award for distinguished service, American Political Science Association (APSA) Honorary degree, University of Liverpool Honorary degree, Oxford University Publications References External links 1934 births 2007 deaths Johns Hopkins University alumni Yale University alumni Wesleyan University faculty University of California, Berkeley faculty American political scientists Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences The Century Foundation Annual Reviews (publisher) editors Brown University alumni 20th-century political scientists