Intended Consequences: Jurisdictional Reform and Issue Control In the U.S. House of Representatives

摘要: The power of congressional committees rests in large part on their ability to set the legislative agenda particular issue areas. But how do acquire jurisdictions? Existing research points informal committee turf wars— not collective reforms—as roots jurisdictional allocations (King 1994, 1997). Yet House Representatives has made nearly 150 formal changes its committees' jurisdictions since 1973. We investigated effects one prominent instance extensive changes, Bolling-Hansen reforms 1975, and found that this body advanced goals improved policy coordination enhanced information sharing.