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  2. The Politics of Herding Cats: When Congressional Leaders Fail

The Politics of Herding Cats: When Congressional Leaders Fail

John Lovett 2021
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In The Politics of Herding Cats, John Lovett looks at the relationship between media, Congress, and public policy, showing that leaders in Congress under normal circumstances control public policy on issue areas due to their status both within Congress and in the media by and large. When issue coverage on topics increases in media, however, other members seize on the opportunities to engage in the issue and shift public policy away from leader desires. As more members engage and more groups become involved, leaders lose the ability to control the process and are more likely to have problems actually getting public policy enacted. Lovett look at this phenomenon using newspaper coverage in the Washington Post over a 40-year period, both in terms of general analysis as well as individual case studies exploring agricultural subsidies (a low coverage topic), immigration (a changing coverage topic), and health care (a high coverage topic). As coverage increases, the amount leaders can control in the process decreases. Only under extreme circumstances, as seen in the Affordable Care Act, can leaders get anything done at all. The Politics of Herding Cats would be useful for those who wish to better understand the relationship between the media and Congress. It will also be useful to those who want to understand the relationship between actors in government and how the media has influenced American politics, as well as how individual members of Congress can go against party leaders on major issues.
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  • Legislative Politics and Policy Making
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  • 978-0-472-13231-7 (hardcover)
  • 978-0-472-12845-7 (ebook)
Subject
  • Political Science:Political Behavior and Public Opinion
  • Political Science:Governance
  • Political Science:American Politics
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  • Table of Contents

  • Resources

  • Stats

  • Cover
  • Title Page
  • Copyright Page
  • Dedication
  • Contents
  • Acknowledgments
  • One. The Failures of Cat Herding
  • Two. Members of Congress and the Expansion of Conflicts
  • Three. Member of Congress’ Involvement in Policy and Leadership Response
  • Four. From Outside to Inside
  • Five. Agricultural Subsidies
  • Six. Immigration Reform
  • Seven. Health Care Policy
  • Eight. Conclusion
  • Appendixes
  • Notes
  • References
  • Index

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These are eight graphs as one image, created from the first column of table 3.4. The x-axis refers to the number of articles written while the y-axis refers to the probability a leader engages in a topic that month. The two lines represent no nonleaders being mentioned the previous month (non-dashed) and nonleaders being mentioned the previous month (dashed).

Figure 3.1a: Predicted Effect of Salience on Leadership Engagement, by Non-Leader Engagement, House

From Chapter 3

Fig 3.1. Predicted Effect of Salience on Leadership Engagement, by Nonleader Engagement, House

These are eight graphs as one image, created from the first column of table 3.4. The x-axis refers to the number of articles written while the y-axis refers to the probability a leader engages in a topic that month. The two lines represent no nonleaders being mentioned the previous month (non-dashed) and nonleaders being mentioned the previous month (dashed).

Figure 3.1b: Predicted Effect of Salience on Leadership Engagement, by Non-Leader Engagement, House

From Chapter 3

Fig 3.1. Predicted Effect of Salience on Leadership Engagement, by Nonleader Engagement, House

These are eight graphs as one image, created from the second column of table 3.4. The x-axis refers to the number of articles written while the y-axis refers to the probability a leader engages in a topic that month. The two lines represent no nonleaders being mentioned the previous month (non-dashed) and nonleaders being mentioned the previous month (dashed).

Figure 3.2a: Predicted Effect of Salience on Leadership Engagement, by Non-Leader Engagement, Senate

From Chapter 3

Fig 3.2. Predicted Effect of Salience on Leadership Engagement, by Nonleader Engagement, Senate

These are eight graphs as one image, created from the second column of table 3.4. The x-axis refers to the number of articles written while the y-axis refers to the probability a leader engages in a topic that month. The two lines represent no nonleaders being mentioned the previous month (non-dashed) and nonleaders being mentioned the previous month (dashed).

Figure 3.2b: Predicted Effect of Salience on Leadership Engagement, by Non-Leader Engagement, Senate

From Chapter 3

Fig 3.2. Predicted Effect of Salience on Leadership Engagement, by Nonleader Engagement, Senate

This is a line graph of the number of articles by year in the Washington Post on agricultural subsidies.

Figure 5.1: Number of Articles by Year on Agricultural Subsidies in The Washington Post

From Chapter 5

Fig 5.1. Number of Articles by Year on Agricultural Subsidies in the Washington Post

This is a bar graph representing the number of times members were mentioned in the Washington Post in 1977 on agricultural subsidies, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 5.2: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 1977

From Chapter 5

Fig 5.2. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 1977

This is a bar graph representing the number of times members were mentioned in the Washington Post in 1981 on agricultural subsidies, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 5.3: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 1981

From Chapter 5

Fig 5.3. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 1981

This is a bar graph representing the number of times members were mentioned in the Washington Post in 1985 on agricultural subsidies, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 5.4: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 1985

From Chapter 5

Fig 5.4. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 1985

This is a bar graph representing the number of times members were mentioned in the Washington Post in 1990 on agricultural subsidies, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 5.5: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 1990

From Chapter 5

Fig 5.5. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 1990

This is a line graph similar to figure 5.1, but now with lines around 1995 and 1996 to denote when the FAIR Act (Freedom to Farm) was considered.

Figure 5.6: Coverage of Agricultural Subsidies in The Washington Post, with FAIR Act Time Period Denoted

From Chapter 5

Fig 5.6. Coverage of Agricultural Subsidies in the Washington Post, with FAIR Act Time Period Denoted

This is a bar graph representing the number of times members were mentioned in the Washington Post in the 104th Congress (1995-1996) on agricultural subsidies, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 5.7: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 104th Congress

From Chapter 5

Fig 5.7. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 104th Congress

This is a bar graph representing the number of times members were mentioned in the Washington Post in the 107th Congress (2001-2002) on agricultural subsidies, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 5.8: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 107th Congress

From Chapter 5

Fig 5.8. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 107th Congress

This is a bar graph representing the number of times members were mentioned in the Washington Post in the 110th Congress (20072008) on agricultural subsidies, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 5.9: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 110th Congress

From Chapter 5

Fig 5.9. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 110th Congress

This is a line graph of the number of articles by year in the Washington Post on immigration.

Figure 6.1: Articles on Immigration in The Washington Post, 1977-2016

From Chapter 6

Fig 6.1. Articles on Immigration in the Washington Post, 1977–2016

This is a bar graph representing the members mentioned the most in the Washington Post during the 97th Congress on immigration, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 6.2: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 97th Congress

From Chapter 6

Fig 6.2. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 97th Congress

This is a bar graph representing the members mentioned the most in the Washington Post during the 98th Congress on immigration, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 6.3: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 98th Congress

From Chapter 6

Fig 6.3. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 98th Congress

This is a bar graph representing the members mentioned the most in the Washington Post during the 99th Congress on immigration, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 6.4: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 999th Congress

From Chapter 6

Fig 6.4. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 99th Congress

This is a line graph of the number of articles by month in the Washington Post on immigration between 1981 and 1986.

Figure 6.5: Number of Articles on Immigration in The Washington Post, by month, 1981-1986

From Chapter 6

Fig 6.5. Number of Articles on Immigration in the Washington Post, by month, 1981–1986

This is a bar graph representing the members mentioned the most in the Washington Post during the 101st Congress on immigration, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 6.6: Number of Members of Congress in 101st Congress on Immigration

From Chapter 6

Fig 6.6. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post in the 101st Congress on Immigration

This is a bar graph representing the members mentioned the most in the Washington Post during the 104th Congress on immigration, with leaders in all capitals.

Figure 6.7: Mentions of Members of Congress in The Washington Post, 104th Congress

From Chapter 6

Fig 6.7. Mentions of Members of Congress in the Washington Post, 104th Congress

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