The Value of Committee Assignments in Congress Since 1994

Abstract:     
Using the Grosewart method of computing the value of committee service, I examine whether the Republican takeover of the House in 1995 led to a change in how members of Congress value service on committees. I show that the common value associated with service on committees has declined in the House since 1995, but not in the Senate. Although the formal changes to the House committee system were associated with formal changes championed by the Republican Party, Democrats and Republicans both assess the value of committee service similarly in the post-1995 era.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 47

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