Political Parties and Congressional Leadership 17.251/252 Fall 2012
Lecture Organization Natural history of political parties in the U.S. Why do parties exist? What explains varying levels of party cohesion When are leaders strong and when are they weak?
Interesting (and Important) Historical Aside Party membership originally arose in the chamber and spread to the electoral arena Now, party membership arises in the electoral arena and spreads to the institution
Natural History of Political Parties Period Party of the right Party of the left 1789 1823 (1 st 17 th Cong.) 1823 1837 (18 th 24 th Cong.) 1837 1857 (25 th 34 th Cong.) 1857 present (35 th 112 th Cong.) Federalists Republicans Multifactionalism based on old party labels & new individual alliances Whigs Republicans Democrats Democrats
Effective number of parties (Figure 7.1, revised to 2012) Effective number of parties 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 House Senate 110th/111th Cong: Senate 51/53D 47/45R 2/2I House 193/242D 205/234R 0/1 Und. 1.0 10th 20th 30th 40th 50th 60th 70th 80th 90th 100th 110th (1807) (1827) (1847) (1867) (1887) (1907) (1927) (1947) (1967) (1987) (2007) Congress (year)
Parties Change in Their Cohesiveness
Parties Change in Their Cohesiveness
Parties Change in Their Cohesiveness
Party Unity Votes in Congress 90% Party unity r.c. votes (as % of all r.c. votes) 70% 50% 30% House Senate 10% 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year Party unity = 50% of one party voting against 50% of the other party
Avg. Party Unity Scores in the House 100% Left party Right party 90% Party unity scores 80% 70% 60% 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 Year Party unity score = % of time a party member voted with his/her party on party unity votes
Avg. Party Unity Scores in the Senate 100% Left party Right party 90% Party unity scores 80% 70% 60% 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 Year Party unity score = % of time a party member voted with his/her party on party unity votes
Current Organization of Congress Party responsibilities Scheduling business Distributing leadership among and within committees Promoting attendance and spreading information Facilitate bargaining Resources that parties possess Knowledge of rules Access to tangible benefits
Some notes about historical Party control development Until roughly the Civil War, parties don t organize the chambers After the Civil War, they do (first the House, then the Senate) Even so, party control of committees is a 20 th century phenomenon Over time formal party positions have proliferated and institutionalized Institutionalization mostly a 20 th century phenomenon (see Gamm and Smith chapter in D&O)
Current Org Chart Position House Senate Constitutional head Speaker V.P./ President pro tempore Floor leader Majority/ minority leader Majority/ minority leader Whip Majority/ minority whip Majority/ minority whip Caucus Chair, v.chair, secy. Chair, secy. Policy committees Committees on committees Campaign committees
112th House Position Rep Dem Constitutional head Floor leader Whip Caucus/Conference Committees on committees Policy Committee Campaign committees Speaker John Boehner (OH) Majority. Leader Eric Cantor (VA) Maj. Whip Kevin McCarthy (CA) Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (IL) Chairman: Jeb Hensarling (TX) Vice ch: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) [chair in 113 th Cong.][ Lynn Jenkins (KS) in 113 th Congress] Secy: John Carter (TX) [Virginia Foxx (NC) in 113 th Congress] Steering Committee Chair: Speaker Chairman: Tom Price (GA) [James Lankford (OK) in 113 th Congress] Nat. Rep. Campaign Comm. Chair: Pete Sessions (TX) [Greg Walden (OR)in 113 th Congress] Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) Min. Whip Steny Hoyer (MD) Asst. Leader James Clyburn (SC) Senior Chief Deputy Whip: John Lewis (GA) Chairman: John Larson (CT) [term-limited out in the 113 th Congress.] Vice chairman: Xavier Becerra (CA) Steering and Policy Committee Co-Chairs: Rosa DeLauro (CT), George Miller (CA) Dem. Cong l Campaign Comm. Chair: Steve Israel (NY)
House Rep. Leaders 5 4 3 McCarthy Boehner (speaker) Cantor (maj. leader) (maj. whip) Lankford 2 Walden (new RCCC chair) McMorris Rodgers (new Conf. chair) (new Policy. Comm. ch.) Sessions (RCCC chair) Price (Policy. Comm. ch.) 1 Hensarlin (Conf..chair) 0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 dwnom
House Dem. Leaders 5 4 3 Delauro (S&P Comm. co-ch.) 2 Pelosi (Min. leader) Miller (S&P Comm. co-ch.) Clyburn (Asst. leader) Larson (Caucus ch.) Hoyer (Min. whip) Israel (DCCC) 1 0-0.8-0.7-0.6-0.5-0.4-0.3-0.2-0.1 dwnom
112 th Senate Position Rep Dem Constitutional head Floor leader Whip Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) Asst. min. leader: Jon Kyl (AZ) Vice President: Joe Biden President pro tempore: Daniel Inouye (HI) Majority leader Harry Reid (NV) Asst maj. leader: Richard Durbin (IL) Chief dep. whip: Barbara Boxer (CA) Caucus Conf. chair: John Thune (SD) Chair: Dem. Leader V. Chair: Charles Schumer (NY) Secretary: Patty Murray (WA) Policy committees Committees on committees Campaign committees Chair: John Barrasso (WY) v. chair: Roy Blunt (MO) Committee on Committees Chair: Mike Crapo (ID) NRSC Ch:John Cornyn (TX) [Jerry Moran (KS) 113 th Cong.) Chair: Chuck Schumer (NY) V. chair: Debbie Stabenow (MI) Steering & Outreach Comm. Ch: Mark Begich (AK) V. ch: Daniel Akaka (HI) DSCC Ch: Patty Murray (WA)
Senate Dem. Leaders 5 4 3 2 Schumer Murray (DSCC chair) Reid (Maj. leader) Inouye (Pres. pro tem) Begich (Steering & Outreach ch.) (Policy comm. ch.) 1 0-0.5-0.4-0.3-0.2-0.1 dwnom
Senate Rep. Leaders 5 4 3 Crapo (Comm. on comm. ch.) Cornyn 2 McConnell (Min. leader) (NRSC chair) Barrasso (Policy comm. ch.) Kyl (Asst. min. leader) Thune 1 (caucus ch.) 0 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.9 dwnom
Note some things about historical development Regional/ideological balancing Emergence of career ladder
Why Do Parties Exist? Anomalous position of parties in spatial models of legislatures The chamber median should rule. Party is just a label Who governs? Do leaders boss followers (common view) or do followers terrorize leaders?
Some perspectives on this question Rohde: Conditional party government Krehbiel: Where s the party? Calvert: Parties coordinate Aldrich, Cox, and McCubbins: Parties help members get elected
Evidence that Parties Push Members Apart Source: Ansolabehere, Snyder, and Stewart (2001)
Further Evidence
Evidence from cut points: 109 th Cong..086402 Fraction Med. cutpoint: -.020 3 rd quartile cutpoint:.152 Median house member:.039 Median Rep:.420 Median Dem: -.409 0-1 1 midpoint on 1st dimension
110 th Congress.077042 Fraction Med. cutpoint:.089 1 st quartile cutpoint: -.05 Median house member: -.176 Median Rep:.429 Median Dem: -.397 0-1 1 midpoint on 1st dimension