Congressional Parties, Institutional Ambition, and the Financing of Majority Control

by Heberlig, Eric S.; Larson, Bruce A.

• ISBN13: 9780472118137
• ISBN10: 0472118137
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-03-21
• Publisher: Univ of Michigan Pr

Summary

Close competition for majority party control of the U.S. House of Representatives has transformed the congressional parties from legislative coalitions into partisan fundraising machines. With the need for ever increasing sums of money to fuel the ongoing campaign for majority control, both Republicans and Democrats have made large donations to the party and its candidates mandatory for members seeking advancement within party and congressional committee hierarchies. Eric S. Heberlig and Bruce A. Larson not only analyze this development, but also discuss its implications for American government and democracy. They address the consequences of selecting congressional leaders on the basis of their fundraising skills rather than their legislative capacity and the extent to which the battle for majority control leads Congress to prioritize short-term electoral gains over long-term governing and problem-solving.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Parties, Incumbents, and Campaign Finance in American Politics	p. 22
Majority Status and Institutional Power	p. 60
The Growth of Member Giving	p. 95
Brother, Can You Spare a Thousand? Who Gives to Whom?	p. 135
Getting Ahead by Giving a Lot: Party Goals and Advancement in the House	p. 159
Leveraging Funds to Pay for the New Party Fundraising Expectations	p. 197
Redistribution and the Value of a House Career	p. 221
Beyond Legislating	p. 246
Notes	p. 263
References	p. 277
Index	p. 297
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