Congressional Parties, Institutional Ambition, and the Financing of Majority Control
Fundraising for the party has rapidly replaced more traditional criteria for advancement and other rewards in Congress
Description
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 analyze this development and 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.
Eric S. Heberlig is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Bruce A. Larson is Associate Professor of Political Science at Gettysburg College.
Reviews
"Heberlig and Larson provide a necessary and stimulating revision of party theory."
- Adam Zelizer, Columbia University
—Political Science Quarterly
"Heberlig and Larson have delivered an excellent and insightful contribution. Scholars of Congress, parties, campaign finance, and elections should read this book, and will likely be citing it with great frequency."
- Victoria A. Farrar-Myers
—Congress and the Presidency
Winner, The LBJ Foundation's 26th D.B. Hardeman Prize, 2014
- LBJ Foundation (LBJF) DB Hardeman Prize
"Heberlig and Larson make an important contribution to the scholarly literature by providing a new perspective regarding the relationships among campaign finance, political parties, and the operations of the US Congress. ... [T]he research and writing are skillfully done; the authors should be commended for their efforts. Highly recommended"
- Choice
—B.W. Monroe, Choice
"Clearly, the findings and conclusions in this book make a contribution to the study of parties in Congress by expanding our knowledge of the different ways parties exert leverage over legislators. However, this information is especially pertinent as scholars come to terms with analyzing a political climate defined by party polarization and deep ideological cleavages."
- Tyler Hughes, University of Oklahoma
—APSA Legislative Studies Section Newsletter
Winner:The LBJ Foundation 2014 D.B. Hardeman Prize
- LBJ Foundation DB Hardeman Prize
News, Reviews, Interviews
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