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

美国内战后的几十年是众议院历史上最具创造性的制度建设时期。这项创新的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。在这一时期形成的制度实践，如年长者原则的发展和差别化委员会制度的发展，在当代国会中显得尤为突出。了解这些机构的起源和早期动态可以为当代住宅的运作提供见解。具体来说，这个项目提供了1870年至1946年众议院组织变化的全面核算。在此期间将收集关于委员会制度的数据，并将增加关于成员特点和更普遍的政治制度的数据。本研究完成后，不仅将揭示美国历史上一个重要的形成时期的国会政治，而且将有助于我们评估当代关于集体选择的政治理论。

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.