Committees in the Modern House of Representatives: Formation, Function, and Output

Abstract

The committee system is central to our understanding the workings of the United States Congress. This dissertation examines three distinct aspects of committees in the House of Representatives: How seniority plays into committee formation and the committees’ subsequent ability to move agenda items; what factors affect members’ participation in committee hearings; and how district representation by state co-delegates on sister committee in the House and Senate affects the distribution of particularized benefits. While the traditional importance of the seniority system has declined in recent Congresses, I show that member seniority is still highly correlative with how members select onto committees and how successful those more senior committees then are at moving their party’s agenda items. When faced with decisions about how to allocate the limited resources each has at their disposal, members make strategic decisions about participating in committee hearings. I show that despite committee leaders’ general expectation that members will attend hearings, the members individual and district characteristics, as well as the timing and topic of each hearing play a significant role in member participation decisions. Lastly, I show that when congressional districts are simultaneously represented on identical subcommittees in the House and Senate, this interaction provides a significant boost in funds appropriated to the represented district.