Legislative Liaison in the Carter Administration

Abstract

The events of the past decade of American history, particularly the Vietnam War and Watergate, have resulted in what many observers see as a strengthening of Congress vis-a-vis the executive. A contemporary president who wishes to be perceived as successful, both by his professional colleagues in Washington and by public opinion nationwide, must be an effective legislative leader. What about Jimmy Carter's legislative leadership? How are the legislative liaison staffs of the Carter administration, both in the White House and in the executive departments, organized? What are some of the activities that these staffs perform? How do these patterns of organization and activity resemble or differ from patterns of legislative-executive relations in previous administrations? Can these patterns of legislative liaison account for the Carter administration's relative lack of legislative success as compared with its Democratic predecessors? One of the primary data bases for this research is a series of interviews with participants in the legislative liaison process that were conducted during the summer of 1977. Almost all of those working in the legislative liaison office in the White House were interviewed. Furthermore, with one exception (the Defense Department), interviews were conducted with the assistant secretaries responsible for legislative liaison in each of the cabinet-level departments. Finally, several congressional staff members, particularly aides to the party leaders, served as informants. All those interviewed were assured anonymity.1