Party leadership and floor management in the United States Senate

This dissertation analyzes the floor activities of Senate party leaders. The focus of the study is on how the parties, through their leaders, attempt to attain their objectives on the Senate floor. In the process, the use of various persuasive and procedural strategies as revealed by the Congressional Record will be explored.

The basic purpose of the analysis is to develop insights into the dynamics of Senate party leadership and contemporary patterns in floor management. It is concluded that party leaders in the Senate have resources at their disposal to effectively lead the Senate and that one majority leader in particular, Howard H. Baker, Jr. used those resources to great effect. In the process, a new model for conceptualizing Senate leadership is offered.

Neo-institutionalism, as a scientific approach, provides the undercurrent for the analysis. The study supports the proposition that institutions are important to the product they deliver. The position of Senate majority leader is a part of the "institution" in that his actions provide context to the environment in which the Senate operates. His actions can have a great affect on legislative outcomes.