The institutionalization of the United States Senate, 1789-1996 Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors White, David Richard Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 06/10/2021 19:50:51 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/289137 INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reptoduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text direcUy f^ the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. 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Bell & Howell Informatksn arKj Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE, 1789-1996 by David Richard White Copyright © David Richard White 2000 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARLZONA 2000 UMI Number 9972084 Copyright 2000 by White, David Richard All rights reserved. UMI® UMI Microform9972084 Copyright 2000 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. 80X1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA « GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Final Examination Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by David R. White entitled Institutionalization of the-U.S. Senate, 1789-1996 and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation re,uir«..nt for the Begr.. of Ooctor of Philosophy n Ragsdale Date ZJohnWaMke Date /- 2 V- <3^ Date Date Date Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copy of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. Dissertati' Lyn Ragsdale Date 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fuifilhnent of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED ZCOO 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are two sets of people I would like to acknowledge now that my dissertation is completed. First, 1 owe a great deal of gratitude to my dissertation chair, Lyn Ragsdale, who stuck with me throughout this very long journey, even as I moved away and became a father. John Wahlke and Brad Jones, the other members of my dissertation committee, also proved helpful with their comments on earlier drafts. A special thanks goes to Bill Dixon, who was particularly helpful to me when I was conducting my statistical analysis. His patience was appreciated. The political science department's Graduate Coordinator, Vickie Healey, and Business Manager, Denise Allyn, also deserve some credit for helping see me through the completion of my degree. Finally, I have a new appreciation for librarians. I offer a collective thanks to the many that helped me while I conducted research at The University of Arizona, The University of Utah and Brigham Young University. Many friends and family have seen me through this effort. I probably learned as much from my fellow graduate students as I did my course work, particularly from Jay Theis, Scott Spehr and Todd Lutes. Friends and neighbors who were not political scientists were also an asset. Mark and Joanne Hulme, Jean and Leo Patterson, Tom and Kaylin Murray, and Mike and Mary Ruehl, all provided support and distractions when necessary. My parents, Richard and Janet White, were always a source of encouragement, and my in-laws, Edward and Eleanor Medemach, personified patience at its best. Finally, very special thanks go to my daughters, Emily Claire and Sydney Erin. You both are more special to me than you will ever know. I look forward to spending more time with you, and having a lot more fun. 5 DEDICATION There is no doubt that finishing graduate school and my dissertation took longer than it should have. Through it all—the two moves to Arizona and a move to Utah, two lovely daughters, too many all-nighters and a few missed deadlines—one person has always been by my side. Little did she know when we married in 1988 that she would be spending more than a decade living with a graduate student. Yet she supported my effort, never complained and provided me with more than ample "funding." If I could have "multi- tasked" the way she did, I would have been done years ago. During those extra years the White Family "institutionalized." It adapted to many challenges, became highly autonomous and grew more complex through the addition of two new subunits. With my dissertation now complete, the White Family will undoubtedly begin to operate more coherently as well. Although it will not be there, her name deserves to be on my diploma no less than mine. Thank you Carol. 1 love you. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 10 L INTRODUCTION 11 Endnotes 25 2. THE THEORY AND PROCESS OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION 27 Introduction 27 Institutionalization in Theory 27 Institutionalization in Practice 31 Institutionalization and Congress Since Polsby 40 Lessons From the Institutionalization Literature 44 Adaptability 45 Autonomy 49 Complexity 52 Coherence 54 Conclusion 56 Endnotes 57 SENATE INSTITUTIONALIZATION IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 59 3. EARLY SENATE INSTITUTIONALIZATION, 1789-1860 62 Introduction 62 Elections and Attributes of Senators 64 Pay and Perquisites 73 Sessions, Rules, Norms and Workload 75 Staff 87 Committees 90 Leadership 97 Conclusion 100 Endnotes 102 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS~Co«/mMei/ 4. THE SENATE INSTITUTIONALIZES FURTHER, 1861-1900 106 Introduction 106 Elections 107 Attributes of Senators Ill Pay and Perquisites 114 Sessions, Rules, Norms and Workload 118 Staff. 126 Committees 131 Leadership 137 Conclusion 140 Endnotes 143 5. THE SENATE IS SUPERSEDED, 1901-1946 146 Introduction 146 Elections and Attributes of Senators 147 Pay and Perquisites 150 Sessions 152 Workload, Rules and Norms 154 Staff 159 Committees 160 Leadership 163 Conclusion 167 Endnotes 169 6. THE SENATE REASSERTS ITSELF, 1947-1996 171 Introduction 171 Elections and Attributes of Senators 172 Pay and Perquisites 177 Workload, Rules, Norms and Sessions 179 Staff. 185 Committees 186 Leadership 191 Conclusion 194 Endnotes 196 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS-Cowf/ViMeJ 7. INDICATORS OF SENATE INSTITUTIONALIZATION 198 Measuring Institutionalization in the U.S. Senate 198 Data Sources and Collection Methodology 199 The Adaptability of the U.S. Senate 206 Senate Resiliency - A Chronological Indicator 207 Senate Flexibility - Two Generational Indicators 209 Senate Resiliency and Flexibility - Functional Indicators 212 The Resilient and Flexible Senate 218 The Autonomy of the U.S. Senate 219 Growth of Senate Expenditures 220 Senate Service 225 Characteristics of Senate Party Leaders 232 An Autonomous Senate 236 The Complexity of the U.S. Senate 236 Growth in Senate Staff 238 Growth and Differentiation in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate ... 240 Growth and Differentiation in Senate Committee Staff 243 Growth and Differentiation in Senators' Personal Office Staff 248 A Complex Senate 251 The Coherence of the U.S. Senate 254 Bills Introduced and Laws Passed 255 Senate Rules 256 Decline in Seniority Violations 258 Contested Senate Seats 261 A Coherent Senate 266 Conclusion 266 Endnotes 268 8. A MODEL OF SENATE INSTITUTIONALIZATION 276 Introduction 276 Duration Of Political Party Control of the Senate 278 Size of Senate Minority 279 Political Party Opposition in the Presidency 280 Political Party Opposition in the House of Representatives 282 Growth of Federal Government Expenditures 284 1946 Legislative Reorganization Act 286 Seventeenth Amendment 286 9