Commentary on "Congressional Informal Groups as Representative Responsiveness"

Authors

  • Susan Webb Hammond

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2374-7781.1993.14.0.375-379

Abstract

“Congressional Informal Groups as Representative Responsiveness” by Arturo Vega focuses on an interesting topic-congressional caucuses-and examines an important theoretical concept-representation-using a new data set that he has gathered. In the contemporary era, congressional caucuses-voluntary groups of members of Congress, without formal recognition in chamber rules or line-item appropriations that seek a role in the policy process-are increasingly salient congressional actors. The number of caucuses has increased dramatically during the 1980s; about 140 operated during the 102nd Congress (1991-1992). It is not surprising that caucuses have flourished during the 1970s and 1980s, two decades of structural decentralization during which members of Congress often pursued individual goals at the expense of collective action. I have argued elsewhere that caucuses, particularly in this environment, assist members in achieving individual goals and also help Congress achieve institutional goals (Hammond 1989). Vega’s focus on caucuses is useful.

References

Eulau, Heinz and Paul Karps. 1977. The Puzzle of Representation: Specifying Components of Responsiveness. Legislative Studies Quarterly 2: 233-254.

Hammond, Susan Webb. 1989. Congressional Caucuses in the Policy Process. In Lawrence Dodd and Bruce Oppenheimer, eds., Congress Reconsidered, 3rd ed. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press.

__________. 1991. Congressional Caucuses and Party Leaders. Political Science Quarterly 106: 277-294.

__________, Daniel P. Mulhollan, and Arthur G. Stevens, Jr. 1985. Congressional Caucuses and Agenda-Setting. Western Political Quarterly 38: 583-605.

__________. Forthcoming. Informal Congressional Groups and National Policymaking.

Stevens, Arthur G., Jr., Daniel P. Mulhollan, and Paul S. Rundquist. 1981. U.S. Congressional Structure and Representation: The Role of Informal Groups. Legislative Studies Quarterly 6: 415-435.

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Published

1993-11-01

Issue

Vol. 14: Fall 1993

Section

Articles

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