INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter 6ce, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Infonnation Company 300 North Zed) Road, Ann Aitx)r MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 CONGRESSIONAL CAREERS: A VIEW FROM THE SENATE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Laura W. Arnold, M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 1997 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Samuel C. Patterson* Adviser Adviser Department of Political Science Professor Herbert F. Weisberg Professor Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier UMI Number: 9801636 UMI Microform 9801636 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 ABSTRACT Career studies focus on both the developmental and contextual aspects of political service. The developmental aspect addresses how politicians change as their public service accumulates over time, while the contextual aspect deals with a politician's interaction with the environment, especially the institution in which one serves. This study examines the political career of a United States Senator. Specifically, I am interested in discovering regularities or cycles of activity that characterize these changes. Career patterns are useful both in explaining the behavior of Senators and the development of the Senate as an institution. In examining the Senate career, I have divided my research into four components, which build upon and extend the existing literature. These stages include: the electoral career, which examines how the electoral safety of a Senator changes as service in the Senate increases; the formal position career, which considers when members attain positions of power within the Senate; the roll call voting career, which addresses changes in voting patterns across a legislator's tenure; and the legislative formulation career, which explores changes in member's bill writing and amending patterns as well as effectiveness in passing legislation across the period of service in the Senate. The evidence presented suggests that while there was some seniority benefit in the past/ especially for Southern Democrats, more recently there appears to be very little connection between tenure and electoral security. Senior senators receive only a slightly larger proportion of the vote than their junior colleagues. In addition, the data demonstrate that, although junior senators are finding their way to the most prestigious committees, they are still at a significant disadvantage when considering their overall a package of committee positions. In the area of voting behavior, the central concern of the study is whether a senator's voting behavior changes as reelection becomes more proximate. I find some evidence of senators becoming more moderate in their voting as reelection approaches, especially for Republicans. Finally, the data clearly demonstrate that seniority pays strong dividends in legislative formulation. Even when numerous other factors are taken into account, tenure remains a strong influence on legislative performance. Ill Dedicated to my parents, John and Ann Arnold, IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The completion of this project would not have been possible without the assistance of many people. I am greatly indebted to each of them and hope I will remember them all here. The former senators who agreed to spend their valuable time talking with me about Senate life provided crucial context for this project. These senators include: John Danforth, Tom Eagleton, Harry Byrd, Jr., Charles Percy, William Proximire, George McGovern, Alan Dixon, Warren Rudman, John Melcher, and two who would like to remain anonymous. Their insight provide a valuable guide for this work. In addition, I would like to thank the Graduate School at the Ohio State University for funding the travel that made these interviews possible through the Graduate School Alumni Research Award program. Additional thanks go to Mary Pat Bierle, formerly of the staff of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. For several years, she shared her Senate experience with me and tolerated the stream of questions I had about Senate life. I have benefited greatly from her expertise. I also would like to thank Christopher Deering of George Washington University. His legislative politics class started me down the road than ends here. I owe a great debt to the faculty and graduate students of Ohio State. I could not have asked for a more supportive dissertation committee. Not only did each member provide valuable advice on the dissertation, but they were also kind enough (or foolish enough) to involve me in interesting and challenging research projects. My chair, Samuel Patterson, provided me with sage advice and guidance, while also giving me the freedom to develop the project as my own. I value that freedom highly and his willingness to let me exercise it. Herbert Weisberg and Janet Box-Steffensmeier also offered helpful advice and suggested some crucial questions that made the final product much stronger. To Jan, I owe a special thanks since she sometimes seemed to believe in my abilities more than I did myself. In addition to my dissertation committee, Gregory Caldeira, Lawrence Baum, and John Kessel provided helpful suggestions in the early stages of project development. Many of my graduate student colleagues have also provided me with great advice and much needed moral support. Thanks go to Barry Burden, Eric Heberlig, Rorie Spill, and Rosie Clausen. Special thanks go to Zoe Oxley and Rebecca Been for going above and beyond the call of duty as a friend. Finally, my greatest debt is to my family for their love and support. Thanks for asking about the dissertation when it was going well and distracting me when it wasn't. A simple thank you could not nearly express the gratitude that vi I owe ray husband David. His support, encouragement, advice, and patience kept me sane through the dissertation process. Although it is not enough, thank you. VII VITA July 28, 1966....................Born - St. Louis, Missouri 1988.............................. B.A. Political Science, Northwestern University 1988-1992........................ Minority Professional Staff Member U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation 1992.............................. M.A. Political Science, The George Washington University 1992-present..................... Graduate Teaching and Research Associate, The Ohio State University PUBLICATIONS Research Publication 1. Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier, Laura W. Arnold, Christopher Zorn. 1997. "Strategic Position Taking and the Timing of Voting Decisions in Congress: A Study of the North American Free Trade Agreement." American Political Science Review. 2. Laura W. Arnold and Herbert F. Weisberg. 1996. "Parenthood, Family Values, and the 1992 Presidential Election." American Politics Quarterly 2 4 (April) : 194-220. VllI 3. Laura W. Arnold and Samuel C. Patterson. 1995. "Inside the Ohio Legislature." in Government, Politics, and Public Policy in Ohio, Carl Leiberman, ed. Akron, OH: Midwest Press Inc. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Political Science IX TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract ........... -__________ ii Dedication. .... iv Acknowledgments ........................... v Vita................. viii List of Tables_____________________ xiii Chapters : 1. Introduction............................................... 1 2. Getting to the Senate and Staying There: The Electoral Career.................................... 14 Introduction............................................. 14 What Is Known About Senate Elections: Previous Literature..................................... 17 Senate Tenure and Electoral Success: Expectations and Design................................. 27 Senate Tenure and Electoral Success: Results.......... 29 Conclusion.................................... 47 3. Institutional Power: Formal Positions in the Senate........................................... 51 Introduction............................................ 51 The Distribution of Senate Formal Positions: Previous Literature....................................