Majority party leadership in the U.S. House of representatives, 1977-96: Speakers, committee assignments, and institutional context

Abstract

Objective. This paper describes and explains the presence of various strategies used by party leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives to increase cohesion among members of the majority party. Methods. Logistic regression analysis is performed on assignments to the most prestigious committees from the 95th through the 104th Congresses. Results. Leaders are likely to reward loyal members, to favor no ideological wing of the majority party, and to protect - on occasion - the vulnerable members of the caucus. Conclusions. The implementation of these strategies varies according to short-term changes in the institutional context of the majority party.