Party Influence in Congress

Party Influence in Congress challenges current arguments and evidence about the influence of parties in the US Congress.

Steven S. Smith (Author)

9780521703871, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 4 June 2007

266 pages, 7 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.4 kg

"A major work, an absolute must-read for scholars of Congress and parties. With his incisive analysis of prominent theories of party influence and his subtle and creative proposals for tackling the problems that a truly satisfactory theory must confront, Smith decisively sets the direction for future work in this central domain of scholarship."
Barbara Sinclair, Marvin Hoffenberg Professor of American Politics, University of California, Los Angeles

Party Influence in Congress challenges current arguments and evidence about the influence of political parties in the US 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.

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.

Subject Areas: Political parties [JPL], Political structures: democracy [JPHV], Political leaders & leadership [JPHL]