Out of the Past: Theoretical and Methodological Contributions of Congressional History

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Never before has congressional history received so much attention. While historians continue to produce important studies (Bogue 1989; Silbey 1985; Thompson 1985), political scientists account for much of the upsurge in interest. In turning to Congress's past, they are offering fresh examinations of behavioral shifts, structural development, and other diachronic patterns (Brady 1988; Cooper and Young 1989; Skladony 1985; Stewart 1989; Swift 1989). However, while such work is increasing, most political scientists continue to approach Congress ahistorically, implicitly treating the institution's present as a unique period for which the past has little relevance. Political scientists are therefore poised at an interesting juncture in congressional scholarship: while a majority yet remains loyal to the postwar tradition of ahistoricism, a growing number are rediscovering an even older political science tradition of historically informed scholarship. With this in mind, now is a particularly appropriate time to ask: What can be gained from the study of Congress's past? And further, is it worth the effort? To answer those questions, let us examine history's contributions to two key aspects of any research perspective: theory and methodology.