Set Up: Legislatures

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Set Up Legislatures
PS 202 -- American Political Institutions and
Processes
Fall 2001
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Legislative Organization and Coalitions
Very Rare in the United States
Coalition Size (Party)
Majority
50
Minority
Coalition Unity (Party)
3
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Ideological Positions on House Roll Call Votes,
93rd Congress (1973-74)
Source Gary Jacobson, Public Opinion and the
Impeachment of Bill Clinton, 1999.
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Ideological Positions on House Roll Call Votes,
97th Congress (1981-82)
Source Gary Jacobson, Public Opinion and the
Impeachment of Bill Clinton, 1999.
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Ideological Positions on House Roll Call Votes,
105th Congress (1997-98)
Source Gary Jacobson, Public Opinion and the
Impeachment of Bill Clinton, 1999.
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Legislative Organization and Coalitions
Coalition Size (Party)
Coalition Unity (Party)
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Legislative Organization and Coalitions
-Three Dimensions
Coalition Size (Party)
Structural Coherence
Coalition Size (Party)
Coalition Unity (Party)
Coalition Unity (Party)
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Constitutional Design of Government
Attributes
Majoritarian
Consensus
Executive Power
Concentrated
Power Sharing
Executive-Legislative
Fused
Separation of Powers
Legislative Design
Asymmetric Bicameralism
Balanced Bicameralism
Legislative Design
Asymmetric Bicameralism
Balanced Bicameralism
Parties-Number
Two-Party System
Multi-Party System
Parties-Dimensions
One Dimensional
Multi-Dimensional
Elections
Plurality
Proportional Representation
Levels of Government
Unitary/Centralized
Federalism/Decentralized
Constitution
Unwritten
Written/Minority Veto
Source Arend Lijphart, 1984
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Types of Legislative Organization -
Characteristics
Attributes
Centralized
Decentralized
Fragmented
Majoritarian (Median Member is Agent of Majority
Leadership)
Nature of Power
Oligarchical
Entrepreneurial
Primary Decision Arena
Electoral
Baronial
Fluid
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Types of Legislative Organization - Policy Effects
Attributes
Centralized
Decentralized
Fragmented
Supportive Chairs and Committees as
Protocoalitions
Promotes Policy Change
Legislative Majority Favors Change
Multiple Coalition Strategies
Issue Complexity Reinforces Fragmentation
Antagonistic Chairs Exercise Baronial Veto
Legislative Majority Opposes Change
Threatens Policy Change
Additional Threats to Policy Change
Weakened Party Leadership
Divided Government
Agenda Overload
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Selected Legislative Characteristics that
Differentiate Among Types of Legislative
Organization

• Number of Legislative Subunits (Committees/Subcomm
  ittees)
• Stability of Committee Membership Tenure
  (Property Rights)
• Stability of Committee Leadership Tenure
  (Seniority)
• Representativeness of Committees (Preference
  Outliers)
• Allocation of Resources (Staff Support
  Services/Agencies)
• Issue Jurisdictional Autonomy of Committees
  (Hearings)
• Legislative Jurisdictional Autonomy of Committees
  (Bills)
• Floor Agenda Control (Rules)

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