The suspension of rules is a common but understudied pathway for bills to pass through Congress. This paper examines Speaker strategy and partisan representation.
Key Findings:
- Suspension votes are frequently used by majority parties not just for procedural reasons, but strategically:
- For electorally vulnerable incumbents seeking support
- To advance party policy goals while maintaining the appearance of nonpartisanship
Speaker Control & Agenda Setting
- Speakers intentionally split suspension agendas between substantive legislation and parochial bills serving individual members' credit claims
- Minority parties are selectively included in these strategic decisions based on political calculations
Data & Methods:
Analysis covers suspension bills from 1973 to 2015, revealing systematic patterns that contradict the perception of this procedure as purely procedural
