Dennis S. Ippolito

HOUSE-SENATE BUDGET CONFERENCES Institutional and Strategic Advantages

In 1975, the power of the purse was set within a new congressional budget process. Taxing and spending decisions that previously had been handled in a piecemeal and uncoordinated fashion became subject to comprehensive congressional budget resolutions that set fiscal policy and spending priorities. This represented an important change in executive-legislative relations. It also created, however, another arena for House-Senate conflicts over control of the purse. This article examines the conflicts that subsequently have emerged and how they have been resolved by House-Senate conference committees. It suggests that institutional theories about the House and Senate do not satisfactorily explain budget conference outcomes. Strategic advantages associated with preconference positions must be taken into account, as well.

Hanson, Peter. Too Weak to Govern: Majority Party Power and Appropriations in the U.S. Senate. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2014. 206 pages.

in House history, including the 1910 revolt and the 1961 Rules Committee expansion. Future work that builds on Professor Sin’s theory should seek to refine and extend some of the empirical work that she has begun. For example, although the empirical results confirm the theory’s predictions, they are not entirely persuasive in refuting internal explanations. The models are well suited for picking up the effects of major shifts after one election, as the theory predicts, but they may not capture the influence of secular changes, such as polarization. Professor Sin finds that all variables internal to the House are insignificant predictors of rule change, but further research will be needed to explore how her constitutional theory and existing explanations fit together. In addition, although Professor Sin’s careful operationalization of factions for the empirical analysis through historical sources is commendable, it has some important limitations. This approach does not distinguish well between deep majority divisions between two large groups (e.g., Democrats in the mid20th century) and relatively mild differences in a generally cohesive caucus (e.g., Republicans in the 1990s). Along the same lines, the choice to identify leaders’ factions through cues like region instead of voting patterns leads to some odd results—Tip O’Neill and Jim Wright, for example, are in opposing factions even though their voting patterns put both in about the same location relative to the caucus median. Despite these limitations, Professor Sin has made a major theoretical and empirical contribution that sets an important agenda for research on the House—and perhaps on Senate rules, as well.

80.00 (hardcover);

Most efforts to develop a theory of tax policy change have emphasized institutional, procedural, and partisan explanations. By contrast, very little attention has been directed toward the budgetary context within which tax policy is determined. The long-term evolution of federal income tax policy, however, demonstrates the importance of budgetary context and constraints, and this relationship is particularly evident in the case of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Passage of this comprehensive reform measure depended on a revenue-neutral standard that ignored the traditional norms governing aggregate revenue levels.

29.99 (softcover).

Ippolito examines the least publicized source of our current fiscal troubles--federal credit programs. Since the 1970s these programs (primary components of the federal policy in such areas as housing, agriculture, education, and international affairs) have grown dramatically, but neither the growth nor their costs have been reflected in the budget. The true costs are not tangible and direct, but these programs can affect investment, economic growth, and productivity. Originally published 1984. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.