The Dynamic of Party Government in Congress Steven Smith and Gerald Gamm

Party Government in Congress Distribution of Power in the House Two Major Theories: 1. Cooper-Brady Model 2. Conditional Party Government (Aldrich and Rohde)

Party Government in Congress Sources of Polarization in Congress: Degree of polarization in Congress reflects the degree of polarization in the external electoral conditions. Cohesive Parties: Leaders are given more Power Divided Parties: Leaders are given less Power When one party becomes Cohesive: Other party will give more power to leaders Polarized voters Polarized congressional parties assertive leaders

Party Government in Congress Distribution of Power in the House 1. Cooper-Brady Model Legislative behavior, or the policy preferences of member are primarily shaped by pluralist forces, specifically the preferences of voters, and not necessarily by the party or party leadership. 2. Conditional Party Government Party and Party leadership does have an impact or influence on the policy preferences of members.

What Shapes Legislative Behavior? Rules, Norms, Trends Leadership (White House) Leadership (I, $) Institutionalism Political Economy Member Inter. Grps/Lobbyists (I, $) Business and Labor Interests (I, V, $) Rational Choice Preferences? Voters (I, V, $) Pluralism

What Shapes Legislative Behavior: Cooper-Brady Model Member Inter. Grps/Lobbyists (I, $) Source: McDonough; Dodd and Opp a. Normative v. Self-Interested leadership b. limits of the const. service, governmental intervention; c. which interests matter in a district; who has access, faith in the system, partisan basis of incumb. Voters (I, V, $) Pluralism

What Shapes Legislative Behavior? Conditional Party Government Thesis Executive: Nat. Rules, Norms, Trends Leadership (White House) Leadership (I, $) Institutionalism Executive: State Member Leadership (Governor) Sources: Dodd and Oppenheimer; Sinclair; Green and Burns; Pearson and Schickler a. Rise of a Powerful Speaker (1970s to Pelosi) and Special Rules b. Influence of the Bush White House 2002-2006 (Medicare Drug Benefit, Tax Cuts) c. Trends: Polarization, Low Retire., Careerism, Partisan Redistricting (incumbency) 2. Sinclair; Lee, Wright a. Trends/Norms: Rise of Individualist, Partisan Senate with weakened Leadership. b. Rules: Deliberative process of Senate is making the Chamber Irrelevant c. States: Personal Politics of Power and Comm. Assign., Variation in States (Speaker)

What Shapes Legislative Behavior? Conditional Party Government Thesis Rules, Norms, Trends Leadership (White House) Leadership (I, $) Institutionalism Member Inter. Grps/Lobbyists (I, $) Voters (I, V, $) Pluralism

Party Government in Congress Distribution of Power in the Senate In contrast to the House, which over the last century has seen both a highly centralized, speaker-centered power structure and a more federalist committee-based system, the Senate has largely maintained a collegial pattern. Collegial Pattern: in such a system, “power is lodged in neither [Leadership nor Committees], but remains in the hands of the full membership on the floor. Individual Senators matter…for better and for worse.

Party Government in Congress What makes the Senate distinctive? - Senate is considerably smaller (100 members, versus 435). - Senate’s presiding Officer is the Vice President, not the leader of the majority party. Thus leadership in the Senate is not given solely to the majority party in the chamber, but is potentially divided with the in-party, that is, the party that controls the White House. - The Senate minority, indeed individual members can obstruct the legislative will of the majority and/or majority party (Filibuster). This limits the power of the majority leader. - Senate does not have strict restricts that amendments be germane. This also limits the ability of the majority party to control the agenda.