Select three advantages for the majority party in selecting the speaker of the house.

The roles and responsibilities of legislative leaders vary considerably among the states. Listed below are brief synopses of the duties typically associated with selected leadership positions.

President of the Senate. The president is the principal leader of the Senate. The president typically will (1) preside over the daily sessions of the Senate, (2) preserve order in the chamber, (3) state parliamentary motions, (4) rule on parliamentary questions, (4) appoint committee chairs and members, (5) refer bills to committee, (6) sign legislation, writs and warrants and (7) act as the official spokesman for the Senate. In about 26 states, the lieutenant governor serves as the president of the Senate, and many of these duties are assumed by the president pro tem.

President pro tem of the Senate. The primary roles assigned to the president pro tem are to (1) preside over the Senate in the president's absence, (2) exercise the powers and duties of the president in his or her absence and (3) assume other duties as assigned by the president. Sometimes, this is an honorary position, with few substantive duties assigned. In states where the lieutenant governor presides over the Senate, the president pro tem usually assumes duties associated with a president.

Speaker of the House or Assembly. The speaker is the principal leader of the House or Assembly. The speaker typically will (1) preside over the daily sessions of the House or Assembly, (2) preserve order in the chamber, (3) state parliamentary motions, (4) rule on parliamentary questions, (4) appoint committee chairs and members, (5) refer bills to committee, (6) sign legislation, writs and warrants and (7) act as the official spokesman for the House or Assembly.

Speaker pro tem. The primary roles assigned to the speaker pro tem are to (1) preside over the House in the speaker's absence, (2) exercise the powers and duties of the speaker in his or her absence and (3) assume other duties as assigned by the speaker. In some states, this is an honorary position, with few substantive duties assigned.

Majority Leader. The primary functions of a majority leader usually relate to floor duties. The majority leader (1) is the lead speaker for the majority party during floor debates, (2) develops the calendar and (3) assists the president or speaker with program development, policy formation and policy decisions.

Majority Caucus Chair. The majority caucus chair generally (1) develops the majority caucus agenda with the principal leaders, (2) presides over the majority caucus meetings and (3) assists with the development of policy.

Majority Whip. The duties of the majority whip are to (1) assist the floor leader, (2) ensure member attendance, (3) count votes and (4) generally communicate the majority position.

Minority Leader. The minority leader is the principal leader of the minority caucus. The minority leader is responsible for (1) developing the minority position, (2) negotiating with the majority party, (3) directing minority caucus activities on the chamber floor and (4) leading debate for the minority.

Minority Caucus Chair. The minority caucus chair (1) presides over caucus meetings and (2) assists the minority leader with policy development.

Minority Whip. The major responsibilities for the minority whip are to (1) assist the minority leader on the floor, (2) count votes and (3) ensure attendance of minority party members.

 Legislative Leaders Homepage

File updated 1/20/2005
 

Is walking the plank dangerous? Certainly, for a pirate. But for a politician, it may be prudent.

Partisanship — or fierce loyalty to one's political party — generally is not admired in the United States today. Many people today call themselves independent voters, and bickering between the parties in Congress is often condemned. But parties are very important in both the House of Representatives and the Senate today. Even though political parties do not play as big a role in elections as they once did, they still provide the basic organization of leadership in Congress.

After each legislative election the party that wins the most representatives is designated the "majority" in each house, and the other party is called the "minority." These designations are significant because the majority party holds the most significant leadership positions, such as Speaker of the House. Usually, the same party holds both houses, but occasionally they are split. For example, from 1983-1985, the House majority was Democratic and the Senate majority was Republican.

At the beginning of each new Congress, the members of each party gather in special meetings to talk party policy and themes and to select their leaders by majority vote. Democrats call their meeting a "caucus," and the Republicans call theirs a "conference." Next, when each house convenes in its first session, Congressional leaders, such as the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader in the Senate, are selected. And even though the whole house votes for its leaders, the majority party makes the real selections ahead of time behind the scenes when they select party leaders.

House Leadership

Because the House has 435 members to the Senate's 100, House leaders tend to have more power over their membership than do Senate leaders. With 435 people trying to make decisions together, their sheer numbers require leaders to coordinate the lawmaking process. Political parties choose all top leadersip positions.

Speaker of the House. The Speaker is the most powerful member of the House of Representatives, and arguably, the most influential single legislator in both houses. Always a member of the majority party, the speaker's influence depends partly on strength of personality and respect of colleagues, but also on several important powers.

The Speaker:

• presides over proceedings on the House floor
• influences which bills go to which committees
• influences committee assignments for new members
• appoints the party's other leaders

• rules on questions of parliamentary procedure

The majority leader usually the second ranking member of the majority party, is the party leader on the floor. Often hand-picked by the Speaker, the majority leader helps plan the party's legislative program. Many Speakers came to their positions by serving as majority leader first.

The minority leader heads and organizes the minority party. Because the party has less voting power than the majority party has, this person's influence is usually limited. If the minority party succeeds in the next congressional election, the minority leader could well be the next Speaker.

Senate Leadership

The Senate leadership is characterized by its highest positions actually having very little power. By Constitutional provision, the president of the Senate is the Vice President of the United States, who only can cast a vote in case of a tie. The Vice President rarely sits with the Senate, so a President pro tempore is selected to take his place. This role too is largely ceremonial, so the chair is often passed to a junior Senator.

The floor leaders are the real leaders in the Senate, although they generally have less power than do leaders in the House. The majority leader is usually the most influential person in the Senate. He has the privilege of beginning debates on legislation, and he usually influences choices for committee assignments. He shares his power with the minority leader, who leads the other party. Usually the two leaders cooperate to some extent, but the leader of the majority party always has the upper hand.

The major leadership positions — Speaker of the House, and majority and minority leaders in both houses — are based almost exclusively on party membership. Does this system encourage party loyalty above all else in members of Congress who want to get ahead? If that is the case, the impatience that Americans have with "partisan politics" is understandable.

Who speaks for the majority party on the floor of the House?

Why is the speaker of the house so powerful?

What is the purpose of the Speaker of the House?

What are the responsibilities of the majority leader?