The Development of the Committee System in the House, 1870- 1946

美国内战后的几十年见证了众议院历史上最具创造性的机构建设时期。这项创新研究试图在国会历史的这一关键时期与当代国会之间建立明确的联系。在这一时期发展起来的制度实践，如资历原则的发展和差异化委员会制度的发展，在当代国会中显得格外突出。了解这些机构的起源和早期动态，可以为当代机构的运作提供洞察。具体地说，该项目全面介绍了1870年至1946年间众议院的组织结构变化。在此期间，将收集关于委员会制度的数据，并将补充有关成员特征和更广泛的政治制度的数据。当这项研究完成后，不仅将有助于我们了解美国历史上一个重要的形成时期的国会政治，而且有助于我们对当代关于集体选择的政治理论进行评估。

The decades following the US Civil War saw the most creative period of institution building in the history of the House of Representatives. This innovative research seeks to draw explicit links between this critical period of congressional history and the contemporary congress. The institutional practices that developed during this period, such as the development of the seniority principle and the development of the differentiated committee system loom large in the contemporary congress. Understanding the origins and early dynamics of these institutions can provide insights into the operation of the contemporary house. Specifically this project provides a comprehensive accounting of organizational change in the House of Representatives from 1870 to 1946. Data will be collected on the committee system during the period and will be augmented with data on member characteristics and on the political system more generally. When completed this research not only will shed light on congressional politics during an important and formative period of American history but also will help us evaluate contemporary political theories about collective choice.