Description
Book SynopsisShows how the speakership began as a relatively weak office, and how votes for Speaker prior to the Civil War often favored regional interests over party loyalty. This title reveals how struggles over House organization prior to the Civil War were among the most consequential turning points in American political history.
Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Editors' Picks for 2013 "An excellent look at the history of majority party leadership in the House."--Choice "[T]his is, overall, a sound and illuminating analysis."--R. Scott Burnet, Historian
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations vii List of Tables ix List of Abbreviations xi Preface xiii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 The Evolving Roles and Responsibilities of House Officers in the Antebellum Era 25 Chapter 3 Organizational Politics under the Secret Ballot 56 Chapter 4 Bringing the Selection of House Officers into the Open 76 Chapter 5 Shoring Up Partisan Control: The Speakership Elections of 1839 and 1847 109 Chapter 6 Partisan Tumult on the Floor: The Speakership Elections of 1849 and 1855-1856 151 Chapter 7 The Speakership and the Rise of the Republican Party 193 Chapter 8 Caucus Governance and the Emergence of the Organizational Cartel, 1861-1891 241 Chapter 9 The Organizational Cartel Persists, 1891-2011 274 Chapter 10 Conclusion 303 Appendixes House Officer Elections and Caucus Nominations 323 Appendix 1 Summary of House Organization, First-112th Congresses (1789-2011) 324 Appendix 2 Election of House Speaker, First-112th Congresses 332 Appendix 3 Election of House Clerk, First-112th Congresses 370 Appendix 4 Election of House Printer, 15th-36th Congresses 391 Appendix 5 Summary of Democratic and Republican Caucus Nominations for Speaker, 38th-112th Congresses 398 Appendix 6 Democratic and Republican Caucus Nominations for Speaker, 38th-112th Congresses 403 References 421 Index 439
