Party Influence in Congress

Erscheinungsjahr 2015
ISBN: 978-0-521-87888-3
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 264 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 587 g

Party Influence in Congress challenges current arguments and evidence about the influence of political parties in the U.S. Congress. Steven S. Smith argues that theory must reflect policy, electoral, and collective party goals. These goals call for flexible party organizations and leadership strategies. They demand that majority party leaders control the flow of legislation; package legislation and time action to build winning majorities and attract public support; work closely with a president of their party; and influence the vote choices for legislators. Smith observes that the circumstantial evidence of party influence is strong, multiple collective goals remain active ingredients after parties are created, party size is an important factor in party strategy, both negative and positive forms of influence are important to congressional parties, and the needle-in-the-haystack search for direct influence continues to prove frustrating.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Smith, Steven S.

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Zentralregierung
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Politische Parteien

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction; 2. The micro-foundations of theories of congressional parties; 3. The types and sources of party influences; 4. The search for direct party effects; 5. Recent theories of party influence: cartel and conditional party government theory; 6. Revisiting pivotal and party politics; 7. Reexamining the direct and indirect influence of party in the House and Senate; 8. More than a conclusion.

Über Autor(innen)

Smith, Steven S.
Steven S. Smith is the Kate M. Gregg Professor of Social Sciences, Professor of Political Science, and the Director of the Murray Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis. He has taught at George Washington University, Northwestern University, and the University of Minnesota, where he was the Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Political Science and Law. He is the author or co-author of six books on congressional politicals, served as an editor of Legislative Studies Quarterly, and served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and Congress & The Presidency.