11 Parties and Leaders

Parties and Leaders in Congress

Key Questions Considering Parties and Leaders

• What do chamber leaders do?

• How do they perform their functions?

• Why and when do members of Congress delegate authority to chamber leaders?

• Focus on committees and their leaders will be discussed later.

The Role of Parties and Leaders in Congressional Organization

Why Parties?

• Parties and leaders emerged to solve specific problems within Congress.

• These structures get stronger or weaker based on members' needs and the effectiveness of parties and leaders in achieving goals.

Problems and Solutions Addressed by Parties and Leaders

• Facilitate communication and cooperation among members with similar preferences.

• Structure the legislative rules.

• Set the legislative agenda.

• Constrain chaos during proceedings.

• Control elections.

• Coordinate votes effectively.

Coordination Game Example

Scenario: Angela vs. Bob

• Participants choose between Ballet and Wrestling.

• In a pair, payoffs depend on both players' selections, demonstrating how party leaders can facilitate coordination among factions.

Current Coordination Game for GOP Leadership

• Coordination challenges between different factions regarding spending cuts or concessions to negotiate with Biden during debt limit discussions.

Agenda Setting Game

Scenario Overview

• Two bills (b1 and b2) compete for consideration time.

• Each bill proposes changing distinct status quo policies to align with median legislator preferences.

Bill Consideration Dynamics

• If legislators Viv, Will, Xavia, Yan, and Zac are involved, the presence of party leadership can influence which bill is prioritized.

Evidence of Party Influence

Roll Rate Analysis

• Defined as the percentage of time a bill passes while facing opposition from the majority of a party.

Leadership Powers in the House

Key Leaders and Their Powers

Speaker of the House

• Presiding officer created by the Constitution; elected by the majority.

• Oversees parliamentary procedure, maintains order, recognizes speakers, and announces voting results.

• Can assign members to committees and set the agenda.

Majority and Minority Leaders

• Elected by secret ballot; principal legislative strategists for their party.

• Responsible for planning and coordinating legislative agendas.

Whips

• Elected positions focusing on party discipline and vote mobilization.

Rules Committee

• Appointed by the Speaker, proposes rules changes essential for structuring legislation.

• Influences the legislative agenda and what can be considered on the House floor.

Leadership in the Senate

Senate Majority Leader

• Emerged from caucus leadership; powerful role transformed by Lyndon Johnson.

• Holds authority to set the agenda and must manage conflicting demands from senators.

Senate Minority Leader

• Role depends on personal skill, intelligence, and ability to negotiate

• Engages in continuous consultation with the Majority Leader.

Additional Leadership Roles

• Assistant Majority and Minority Leaders (whips) supporting vote counting and party discipline.

Party Caucus / Conference

• Comprises all members of a party in the chamber.

• Responsible for selecting leaders and discussing strategy.

Campaign Committees

Responsibilities

• House: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

• Senate: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Conditional Party Government

Factors Influencing Party Power

• Homogenous Preferences promote greater intra-party cooperation.

• Larger, more complex problems necessitate increased party cooperation.

Evaluating Party Influence in Congress

Strengths and Weaknesses of Parties

• Votes are not always along partisan lines.

• Some votes reflect ideology rather than party influence directly.

• Procedural votes and control over the agenda show substantive party influence.

Unity Votes

• Measures the cohesiveness of party voting against the opposition.

• 50% unity indicates effective partisanship, contributing to the notion of responsible party governance.

Conclusion

Summary of Party Influence

• Parties matter in shaping legislative outcomes, but their impact varies significantly.

Upcoming Topics

• Election of Majority and Minority Leaders involving multiple ballots until a candidate receives a majority.

• Official list for committee assignments is forthcoming.