Change and Continuity for Committees in Congress

Abstract

For decades, committees were the driving forces in congressional policymaking action. But in recent years, traditional, committee-led legislative processes have been replaced in most cases by unorthodox processes with centralized control in party leaders. This chapter asks: Have these changes to Congress altered the role and power of congressional committees? Have they undercut committee power and influence? Are committees less important to members of Congress or to the institution than in the past? While we no longer live in an era of “committee government” the available evidence suggests that committees remain important and influential institutions on Capitol Hill, structuring the legislative lives of lawmakers, and playing an important role in congressional action.