Congressional parties, institutional ambition, and the financing of majority control / Eric S. Heberlig and Bruce A. Larson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Heberlig, Eric S., 1970-

Contributor:

Larson, Bruce A., 1960-

Michigan Publishing (University of Michigan), publisher.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Campaign funds--United States.

Campaign funds.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (319 p.)

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Introduction

Parties, incumbents, and campaign finance in American politics

Majority status and institutional power

The growth of member giving

Brother, can you spare a thousand? who gives to whom?

Getting ahead by giving a lot: party goals and advancement in the House

Leveraging funds to pay for the new party fundraising expectations

Redistribution and the value of a house career

Beyond legislating.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-295) and index.

Description based on information from the publisher.

ISBN:

9786613532466

9781280128585

1280128585

9780472028238

0472028235

OCLC:

782923552

Publisher Number:

10.3998/mpub.4060427