Pursuing Majorities: Congressional Campaign Committees in American Politics

by Robin Kolodny

Pursuing Majorities is the first book-length examination of the four congressional campaign committees (CCCs) in the U.S. House and Senate. Tracing the history of CCCs from their inception in the 1860s to the present day, Robin Kolodny provides a comprehensive analysis of their evolution and current role in the political process.Elected by representatives or senators, CCCs are charged with helping the parties they represent attain or maintain majority status. Because congressional studies traditionally focus on postelectoral activity, the importance of CCCs has been largely overlooked. Basing her argument on extensive archival research, Kolodny demonstrates that majority status is a fundamental precondition for congressional activity and that CCCs have played an integral role in the electoral strategies of both the Democratic and Republican parties in the House and Senate.Kolodny also describes variations in CCC activities, which depend on such factors as whether the party is in the majority, the presence or absence of a presidential election, the dominant campaign techniques of the time, and the agendas and abilities of individual CCC chairs. Finally, she links CCC leadership to leadership in Congress by showing that congressional members who chair CCCs often end up in party leadership positions.

299 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the author, so I think it's fab! Why doesn't Goodreads let you say that you wrote something??