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Leadership Power in the Us House Of ABSTRACT Title of Document: INFORMATION CONTROL: LEADERSHIP POWER IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. James M. Curry, Doctor of Philosophy, 2011 Directed By: Professor Frances E. Lee Department of Government & Politics Most congressional scholarship argues that legislative leaders—majority party leaders and committee chairs—are strongly constrained, weak agents of their rank-and-file. This study argues that information, and leaders’ ability to control it, is a significant and independent source of power for leaders in the House of Representatives. Most rank-and-file members of Congress lack the time and resources necessary to track, study, or become deeply involved in legislating on most bills considered by the House. As a result, they rely on sources that can synthesize the information they need to decide whether or not to support the bill, offer an amendment, or take other actions. The party leadership and committee chairs, because of their staff and resource advantages, are important sources of information for the rank-and-file. However, legislative leaders often exploit their informational advantages to help their preferred legislation gain easy passage through the chamber. Along with the ability to perpetually collect information on rank-and-file preferences, and provide leadership- approved information about legislation, legislative leaders also have an arsenal of tools to limit the availability of information including withholding legislative language, scheduling votes on short notice, and using large and complex legislation as a vehicle. This information control puts leaders in the driver’s seat, allowing them to lead the chamber by shaping the information driving the debate on a bill. Thirty interviews with members of Congress and congressional staff, along with a unique dataset of important legislation considered by the House of Representatives are used to support this theory. Leaders are found to employ information control tactics strategically, to aid the passage of their priority legislation and in response to the potential for significant influence from outside groups. The study, overall, suggests that legislative leaders in the House are more influential than they are typically perceived to be and that participation in congressional policymaking is often restricted. INFORMATION CONTROL: LEADERSHIP POWER IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES By James M. Curry Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2011 Advisory Committee: Professor Frances E. Lee, Chair Professor Paul S. Herrnson Professor Irwin L. Morris Professor Sarah A. Binder Professor Christopher H. Foreman © Copyright by James M. Curry 2011 Dedication Once and again, to Jill. ii Acknowledgements If it takes a village to raise a child, it at least takes a neighborhood to write a dissertation. As with any research project, there are a great many people without whom this dissertation would not have been possible. First, I need to thank Dale Oak and the rest of the staff of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government for agreeing to let me work for them as a fellow in the summer of 2007. This project was born in the close quarters of our Longworth House Office Building closet/office. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity they provided me to participate in and observe the committee’s work. The months I spent with them undoubtedly changed the trajectory of my career, and my understanding of the U.S. Congress. I am also forever indebted to the 30 anonymous individuals who kindly gave their time and attention to be interviewed for this research. Members of Congress and congressional staff are the busiest and hardest working people I know. That they would clear their schedules to talk to a graduate student about his thesis says much about their generosity, as well. I also have to thank Jeff Biggs, sage of the APSA Congressional Fellowship Program. Over lunch at the Brookings Institution’s cafeteria Jeff jump started my interviews by hooking me up with some of the initial members and staffers in my sample. Over the time I have worked on this project a number of scholars have offered fantastic advice and feedback including Laurel Harbridge and Michael Bailey. Matt Green was especially generous providing incredibly detailed and insightful comments, and indulging my many questions over a lengthy email exchange. iii The faculty of the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland also need recognition. The department provided a challenging and intellectually stimulating environment in which to develop as a scholar and a political scientist. The drive they instill to become part of the political science community from day one is invaluable. I also have to thank two members of the office staff in the department. Ann Marie Clark and Cissy Roberts helped me and saved my behind more times that I can count. I cannot imagine how anyone can manage their way to graduation without the help of these two wonderful women. The five members of my dissertation committee—Frances Lee, Paul Herrnson, Irwin Morris, Sarah Binder, and Chris Foreman—each provided fantastic advice and feedback as I worked through this project and I cannot thank them enough. I am especially grateful for the support of two. Paul Herrnson has for years now provided me excellent advice on my dissertation and for my career. Paul let me onto his staff at the Center for American Politics and Citizenship as a second year graduate student. Without the assistantship and the critical funding he provided me, it is not an exaggeration to say I would have never completed my degree. I have learned a great deal about the practical realities of being a political scientist from Paul. I can only hope that during my time as his research assistant I contributed as much as I benefitted. Frances Lee, my dissertation advisor, provided and continues to provide feedback and advice on this project that is second to none. Her very sharp insights and critiques shaped, focused, and re-focused this project numerous times. Her advice on any number of topics, including the elite interviewing process, has been iv indispensable. Frances was always positive and supportive, as well, keeping me focused and motivated during what at times was a very arduous process; and her willingness to be kind as she pointed out the numerous typos and unfortunate homonyms in drafts of this dissertation was always appreciated. Frances is an excellent teacher and did more than anyone to shape the way I view and study Congress. I also need to take the space to thank my friends for sticking with me despite my constant obsession with this project and the general crankiness that was a major side effect of working on it. The distraction friends can provide is a crucial part of remaining sane during the process of earning a doctorate. I do not know how anyone can survive it without the therapy they can provide over many, many beers. My family also provided a great deal of support during the course of this project. My family grew several times over the last few years as wonderful parents-, brothers-, sisters-, and cousins-in-law were added to my already terrific family. Every one of them has been supportive. I need especially to single out my parents for their constant encouragement. No matter how dull or boring my life as a graduate student would be, by parents always took an interest, asked questions, and were positive and understanding. I am forever thankful. They can finally tell people their son is no longer in school. Finally, no acknowledgements would be complete without recognizing the immutable support of my wife. Jill has been with me for the entire process; has heard every idea, frustration, and rant spill directly from my head out of my mouth and never complained. No one has provided more feedback or put up with more crap than v her, and her steady demeanor helped me keep perspective as I worked and struggled through this dissertation. Jill has provided me with all the love and encouragement I could ever need, and it is for these reasons that this study is dedicated to her. I only hope I can provide her with the same unbending support as she completes her own dissertation. vi Table of Contents Dedication ..................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................ vii List of Tables ............................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ............................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Defining ‘Legislative Leaders’ ................................................................................. 4 Information and Power ............................................................................................. 7 A Word on Information .......................................................................................... 10 Overview of the Study ...........................................................................................
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