EARLY YEARS, 1790-1820s continued
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WHY FORM/USE STANDING COMMITTEES?
1.) Nomothetic Explanation: informational theory,
distributive theory, partisan theory
Do committees serve “multiple principals”?
2.) Idiographic Explanation
HOUSE: aftermath of War of 1812
a.) death of the Federalists; growing factionalization of Republicans;
emergence of Democrats
 b.) financial mismanagement by executive branch
 c.) growing congressional workload; increased constituent demands
(election of 1816)
 Standing committee structure pretty much complete by 1822
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SENATE: happened more or less all at once
Late 19th Century: Golden Age of
Parties on Capitol Hill
The pre-Civil War party system: Whigs vs.
Democrats, competitive nationwide
 Post-Civil War: heavily regionalized party
system, leading to safe districts and lower
turnover
High intraparty homogeneity and interparty
heterogeneity led to conditions for strong
party leadership in both chambers
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(See graphs in Smith and Gamm, pp. 146-152)
Golden Age of Parties cont’d
“Reed’s rules”: began with elimination of
“disappearing quorum” & other dilatory
tactics; continued with increased use of
House Rules Committee as leadership tool
 “Czar” Cannon’s amazing tripod of power
(committee system, scheduling, floor
debate)
--increasing ideological conflict within the
GOP: “Old Guard” vs. “Progressives”
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Golden Age of Parties, Cont’d
First challenges 1909: Calendar
Wednesday, consent calendar
 Revolt in 1910: led by Norris’ motion to
strip Speaker of HRC chairmanship and
committee appointment powers
 Democrats and “King Caucus”
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The “Textbook Congress” 1920s1970s
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Growing decentralization, weakening parties,
and member independence due to:
--Australian ballot
--Primary elections replaced “SFR” method of
nomination
--Norm of continuing committee assignments
--Direct election of Senators (1913)
--Continued regional/ideological division within
both parties
“Textbook Congress” continued
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EMERGENCE OF SENIORITY SYSTEM
--committee assignments
--committee chairmanships
--leadership succession (esp. Democrats)
EMERGENCE OF CONSERVATIVE COALITION during
FDR’s second term
(How seniority system benefited the South)
Speaker Sam Rayburn (1940-1961): bargaining,
accommodative style of leadership
“Textbook Congress Cont’d”
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Donald Matthews, US Senators and Their
World (1960)
Mid-20th Century norms observed by
Matthews: apprenticeship, specialization,
reciprocity, be a “workhorse” not a
“showhorse,” institutional patriotism,
courtesy
 Consequences of violating norms?
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End of the Textbook Congress
SEEDS OF REFORM
 --1958 midterm elections—created
disparity between caucus and committee
chairs: 39.3% of House Democrats were
Southern, but 61.9% of committee chairs
were Southern
 --formation of Democratic Study Group
(DSG)
 Expansion of Rules Committee in 1961
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End of the Textbook Congress
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The “Revolt Against the Committee Chairs” of early 1970s
1.) revitalization of Caucus; committee chair interviews and
approval by Caucus
2.) Subcommittee Bill of Rights (decentralizing)
3.) POWERS GIVEN TO SPEAKER
(centralizing)
--appoint majority party members on Rules Committee
--more power over committee assignments (leadership of, partial
appointment of, and multiple votes on CoCs)
--power of multiple referral and ad hoc committees
4.) Greater openness
--more recorded votes (electronic voting)
--open committee hearings, C-SPAN
Unintended consequences of greater openness?
The Post-Reform Congress, 1975present
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Party voting and party unity increased greatly in
the 1980s---why?
1.) Aftereffects of Voting Rights Act of 1965
2.) Growth of GOP in South (transplants,
converts, and generational change)—effects on
primary elections
3.) Reaganism and the
centralization/’fiscalization’ of politics
4.) More aggressive party leadership?
---increasing use of rules to limit members’
options, more omnibus bills
The Post-Reform Congress Cont’d
--party leaders more involved in recruiting and
funding their parties’ candidates (e.g.
“leadership PACs”)
 --Better socialization/inclusion of new members
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The Republican Revolution of 1994
 PRELUDE: Gingrich’s “COS” hardball tactics, Jim
Wright’s unprecedented use of power, big
turnover in 1992 due to unique factors
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POST-REFORM Congress cont’d
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1994 CAMPAIGN: Contract w/America,
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SPEAKER GINGRICH’s FIRST 100 DAYS
morphing into Clinton
--handpicked, dominated, and bypassed
committees
 --reorganization of committee system
 --term limits on leadership positions
 --some attempt at increasing minority
rights
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POST-REFORM CONGRESS CONT’D
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GINGRICH’S DOWNFALL
--Budget Showdown with Clinton ’95-’96
--Emerging ideological/regional splits with GOP
--Senate stymies Contract
--1996: Year of Cooperation (min. wage,
welfare reform, health care)
--Gingrich’s ethics, attempted coup
--Impeachment fiasco the final blow---1998
elections
The Polarized Era (1995 – today)
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Unified Republican Govt. (more or less) –
first 6 yrs. of “W’s” Presidency