1. Congress 1958-
Brian M Conley

2. GOP and 2016 Overlapping Congressional Origin: Changes in Leadership
Time
2016
1970s
1970s
2016
Dem Reforms (Rules, Comms, Leadership
Democratic Party
Republican Party
Left
Center
Right
Ideology

3. House of Representatives
Watergate Class
Me-Too to Newt
Rise of the Right
Republican Revolution
Liberal Attack on southern wing of the Dem. Party
Features:
- Weaken Southern Dems by weakening Comm. Chairs
a. Sub Committee
Bill of Rights
- Term limits
- Empower more liberal leadership
Rep. Right takes on strategy of me-tooism
Features:
Three part-strategy:
1. Oppose All Dems
2. Oppose Rep who
work with Dems
3. Shutdown GOVT if
necessary.
1980: Reps win majority in Senate ( )
Confrontational Rep. strategy works:
Features:
- Newt and Con. Reps win a series of battles with Dem leaders in Congress.
- Rep minority becomes more con., cohesive and influential within Congress.
Republican Revolution:
Features:
-Reps took over Congress for the first time in 40 years.
- Newt Gingrich becomes Speaker
- Consolidates power in Speakers office, a process started with Dems in 1974.

4. House of Representatives
Pelosi Period
Repeal, Repeal, Repeal
Repeal and Replace
The Future?
Liberal Dems take over Congress attacking corruption.
Features:
Attacks by Rep. push Dems libs into leadership within Dem Conf.
Opposition to Iraq War
Pelosi first female Speaker in Congress
Pass Obamacare
Reps take back House by running against Obamacare (lose in Senate).
Features:
Strategy of “NO”
Reps maintain a policy of uniform opposition to all things Obama.
Rise of the Tea Party
2012: Obama reelected
Reps Maintain by running against Obama/care
Features:
Reps add “repeal” to attack on Obamacare
2014: Reps win Senate
2016: Unified Rep GOVT (Congress and White House (Trump)
Where do we go from here?

5. GOP and 2016
Overlapping Congressional Origin: Changes in Leadership Changes to the rules, seniority, committee and thus leadership structure largely initiated by liberal Democrats in the House in the mid-1970s helps set in motion the partisan division that began to dissect Congress in the 1980s. a

6. Democratic Party Reform
Democratic Party Reform: Gateway to the Partisan Era
Many of the leadership tactics used by the Republicans in the 1990s reflected rules and procedural changes initially introduced by Democrats in the 1970s and 1980s.
Source of Party Reform and Rule Changes:
Despite their increased number, liberal Democrats did not have the votes they needed to advance their agenda. So, they decided to pursue rules changes as means of shaping party policy.
(Source: John Aldrich and David Rohde  “Richard Fenno’s Theory of Congressional Committees and the Partisan Polarization of the House.” In Congress Reconsidered, Lawrence Dodd and Bruce Oppenheimer, 10th Edition. Washington, D.C: CQ Press …

7. Democratic Party Reform
Democratic Rule Changes:
Among the rules changes pursued by liberal Democrats were the following:
1) Altered Power of Committee Chairs (Traditionally Southern,
Conservative)
2) Changed Seniority System:
3) Introduced Secret Ballot for Chair Selection
4) Subcommittee Bill of Rights:
Sub Comm Chairs no longer Appointed by Chair, but were bid on in order of seniority.
5) Subcommittee Chairs granted more jurisdictional authority.

8. Democratic Party Reform
Democratic Rule Changes:
6) Enhanced Power of Party Leadership:
Speaker Given Power to Appoint Chair (and Democratic Members) of Rules Committee
7) Established Steering and Policy Committee:
Controlled by Speaker, and Responsible for
Committee Assignments.
8) Empowered Speaker to Refer Bills to More than One Committee, and Set Deadlines for Reporting.

9. Democratic Party Reform
Democratic Rule Changes: Outcomes:
Committee Chairs: Less Independent and More Partisan
Once independent, and more conservative Committee Chairs became dependent on Party leadership for their position.
House Rules: Growth in Special Rules
The Democratic Leadership’s control of the Rules Committee resulted in the proliferation of “special rules” to manage floor debate in ways desired by the leadership.
Examples:
Bar Amendments/Allow Specific Amendments
Alter Reporting Committee’s Report

10. Democratic Party Reform
Party Reform: Gateway to Partisan Era (219)
Democratic Reforms: Shifted Power from Committee to Floor to Leadership
Democratic: Become More Liberal (More Homogenous), This Lead to Strong Leadership
  Conditional Party Govt (CPG)
Homogenous parties are more likely to empower leaders.

11. Republican Party Reform
Republican Rule and Its Consequences: (222)
Rep Changes:
1. Ignored Seniority System
Bob Livingston: Appropriation Committee
Judiciary Committee
Commerce Committee
2. Change power of comms. And chair comms
Limited sub committees
Chairs controls comm., but leaders controls comm., chairs
3. Eliminated (and renamed) Committees
4. Appropriation Committee: Members Had to sign “letter of fidelity”

12. GOP and 2016
Prevailing Strategy of Republican Leadership: 1970s and 1980s
Led by Robert Michel (Illinois), the Republican leadership in the House pursued a non-confrontational strategy.
Benefits of Non-Confrontational Strategy
By working with the Democrats the Republicans hoped to:
- get some legislation they wanted passed,
- to win appropriations for their districts
- and appear as productive members of Congress.
Gingrich’s view: working with Dems left the Reps in permanent minority.
Source: Ronald Brownstein  The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America. New York: Penguin Books. Chapters 5.

13. The Rise of Hyperpartisanship
Newt and Conservatives Get Organized: Conservative Opportunity Society Gingrich establishes the Conservative Opportunity Society (COS) after meeting with Nixon, who tells him he will need to organize with other conservative members if he wants the Republican and Democratic leadership. Conservative Opportunity Society (COS) Newt uses the COS to build a conservative network both within and beyond Congress. He pulls together a coalition of Think Tanks, Lobbying and Interest Groups. …

14. The Rise of Hyperpartisanship
Newt Overarching Strategy: Path to a Republican Majority His strategy for gaining power, and achieving a Republican Majority had three distinct parts: 1. Oppose Everything the Democrats Propose 2. Challenge any Republicans willing to work with the Democrats 3. Be Willing to Shutdown Congress and the Government Down to achieve to achieve a Majority His goal: gain power by drawing a sharp distinction between the parties. …

15. The Rise of Hyperpartisanship
Newt Overarching Strategy: Path to a Republican Majority He would pursue this path to power by: - Skillfully using the media to promote a conservative agenda - Tactically harassing the Democratic Leadership (Speaker Tip O’Neil) - Pressuring the Republican Leadership to Support Him …

16. The Rise of Hyperpartisanship
Newt Helped by Democrats Newt’s pursuit of power was unwittingly aided by the Democrats in the following ways: - Democratic Reforms of Congress in the 1970s strengthened the Party Leadership, and alienated Conservative Democrats and Republicans (weakened seniority, made Committees more Responsive to Democratic Caucus) - Over-reactions to Gingrich brought the Republican more influence (his strategies were working) - Pursued an increasingly partisan agenda that pushed more and more frustrated Republicans into Gingrich’s fold. …

17. The Rise of Hyperpartisanship
Newt’s Challenge to the Republican Leadership and White House: Newt’s growing influence enables him to win the election to become the House Republican Whip in 1989, defeating a candidate endorsed by the Republican House Leadership. It also enables him to lead the Conservative charge against President Bush’s 1990 budget deal to reduce the deep deficits created by Reagan. 1994: Republican Revolution: Newt Gains Power After forty years in the minority, the Republicans win a majority in the House in …

18. The Rise of Hyperpartisanship
Newt and President Clinton Although Newt continued to employ a confrontational strategy after 1994, he found a worthy adversary in Bill Clinton, who called Gingrich about shutting the government down over budgetary disagreements and Impeachment. In both cases, Gingrich and the Republicans as much and at times more blame than the Clinton and the Democrats. Newt resigned from Congress in …