The answer to many of those questions boils down to the sheer amount of power held by the minority leader. So much of what the senate does is done by unanimous consent, and the minority leader essentially has as much power as the majority leader, except with regard to what comes to the floor. They could gum things up so badly, and the on…
The answer to many of those questions boils down to the sheer amount of power held by the minority leader. So much of what the senate does is done by unanimous consent, and the minority leader essentially has as much power as the majority leader, except with regard to what comes to the floor. They could gum things up so badly, and the only reason they don't is the threat of retribution from their counterpart when their fortunes are reversed. Much should be modernized about the senate (electronic voting with correspondingly streamlined voting timelines, elimination of cloture votes at least when the threshold is 50), and having Manchin out of the caucus will make achieving that easier. We shall see in the coming years who the next rung of remaining traditionalists are.
The rules are 400-odd pages long and don't clarify much if you read them. I remember Martin Gold's Senate Procedure and Practice being enlightening, though it's remarkable how much they've jacked up the price for the current edition.
I see that it’s affordable used through Abe Books. Do you recommend it for a non-specialist? Would it address my questions any more concretely than you have already done?
Can't really say, it's been 15-plus years since I've read it and I'm not sure how much they change from one edition to the next. It's not an exciting read, but it did give me a fundamental understanding of the senate in a way that other works failed to.
The answer to many of those questions boils down to the sheer amount of power held by the minority leader. So much of what the senate does is done by unanimous consent, and the minority leader essentially has as much power as the majority leader, except with regard to what comes to the floor. They could gum things up so badly, and the only reason they don't is the threat of retribution from their counterpart when their fortunes are reversed. Much should be modernized about the senate (electronic voting with correspondingly streamlined voting timelines, elimination of cloture votes at least when the threshold is 50), and having Manchin out of the caucus will make achieving that easier. We shall see in the coming years who the next rung of remaining traditionalists are.
Interesting. I tried to find answers to some of my questions in the Senate Rules. Regrettably, I became none the wiser.
The rules are 400-odd pages long and don't clarify much if you read them. I remember Martin Gold's Senate Procedure and Practice being enlightening, though it's remarkable how much they've jacked up the price for the current edition.
I see that it’s affordable used through Abe Books. Do you recommend it for a non-specialist? Would it address my questions any more concretely than you have already done?
Can't really say, it's been 15-plus years since I've read it and I'm not sure how much they change from one edition to the next. It's not an exciting read, but it did give me a fundamental understanding of the senate in a way that other works failed to.