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PresidentsDo Influence Voting I n t he U. S.
Congress:New
Definitions and MeasurementsTo evaluate presidential influence on congressional voting decisions, this study uses a new definition and measurement of "influence." It finds, contrary to congressional decision-making studies, that presidents do influence voting decisions on domestic issues. Since presidential influence is variable, the major concern of the study is to identify the policies and contexts which enhance his influence. In general, when a president is responsible for a policy area, he receives support from his party's congressional members; change in the decisional context also provides opportunities for presidential influence. The interactions between presidential leadership and other forces also modifies the extent of presidential influence.The literature concerning presidential influence upon congressional voting decisions presents a mixed picture. One body of literature, on congressional decision making, reports little evidence of presidential influence on domestic issues (Clausen, 1973, ch. 8; Kingdon, 1981, ch. 6; Matthews and Stimson, 1975, ch. 5). Other studies explore the effects of public support for the president, as expressed in elections and presidential popularity polls, upon congressional response to presidential leadership (EdwardsThese assume that presidents do influence voting decisions-otherwise there would be little reason for the studies. These contradictions are a consequence of using different methodologies and reflect the unusually difficult problem of measuring presidential influence. This study reviews previous work and uses a new definition and measurement of "influence" to evaluate the extent of presidential influence in the House of Representatives during the 90th through 93d Congresses.
Previous StudiesThe Congressional decision-making studies found that presidents minimally influence voting on domestic issues. Given the high quality of
LEGISLATIVE STUDIES QUARTERLY, VIII, 4, November 1983 691This content downloaded from 188.72.127.42 on this work, the matter might be left to rest; there is certainly little reason to replicate the studies. However, presidential leadership may have been concealed in a multivariate analysis, the primary methodology of these studies. As a relative newcomer and as a leader, the president is likely to use a variety of avenues and resources-such as enlisting the assistance of influential actors, working out compromises among different actors and groups, and defining programs and policies which elicit the support of ot...
