The Congressional Caucus of Today

• Published in: The American political science review 1915-11, Vol.9 (4), p.696-706
• Main Author: Haines, Wilder H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Caucus system; Caucuses; Committees; Congress; Congressional committees; Congressional voting; Houses; Political parties; Pork; Reelection; Specialized committees; United States; Voting
• ISSN: 0003-0554; 1537-5943
• DOI: 10.2307/1946386

The convening of the 64th congress makes timely a brief discussion of the organization and operation of the Democratic caucus system in the house of representatives during the last two congresses; since the Democratic party remains in control of the present congress, it is to be presumed that the past caucus system will be continued in substantially the same form. The caucus system used in the 62d and 63d congresses was adopted by the Democrats, upon their accession to control of the house in 1910, to replace Cannonism, which had become of ill repute among the voters, and which had been partly over-thrown at the preceding session. The unwieldy size of the house, as well as the exigencies of party, required some extra-legal machinery to coördinate and direct the action of the members; the substitute chosen by the Democratic leaders was an adaptation of the senate caucus, formerly known as Aldrichism. The essence of Cannonism had been the control of the house by the speaker through his power of appointment of committees and his domination of the rules committee, backed by the power of the majority party caucus; the essence of the new system is direct control of legislative action by the caucus itself.