Skip to content
Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter January 3, 2011

Senate Delegation Dynamics in an Age of Party Polarization

  • Wendy J Schiller and Jennifer C Cassidy
From the journal The Forum

In the decade since Partners and Rivals: Representation in U.S. Delegations (2000) was published, Congress has experienced increased levels of party polarization. Congressional scholars have since concluded that this polarization trend has dramatically changed the context for deliberation, competition, and cooperation in the U.S. Senate. However, scholars have not explored the ties between increased polarization and representation within Senate delegations. In this article, we evaluate whether the dynamic of cooperation and competition among same-state Senators still exists along the lines identified in Partners and Rivals, or whether it has become merely a folkway of the past. We find that same-state Senators still construct distinct legislative portfolios designed to garner public attention and support, and that this still reflects a commitment to representation in the Senate.

Published Online: 2011-1-3

©2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston

Downloaded on 28.3.2024 from https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.2202/1540-8884.1478/html
Scroll to top button