Who Makes Our Laws? The Legislative Effectiveness of Members of the U. S. Congress

Abstract

Focusing on the distribution of power in the U. S. House of Representatives, this paper uses a decision-making approach and measures power by the ability of a member of Congress to get bills enacted into law. The findings reveal that, while a relatively large number of members expend effort in the legislative realm and have some success, this group can still be identified as a unique subset, which is only partially specified by the conventional wisdom defining congressional power holders. The analysis also points to the conclusion that legislative effort and success do not contribute to electoral strength and security. Legislating is an option largely reserved for those members with few electoral fears.

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