The role of the Minority Party in Congress

The role of the minority party in congress varies in accordance with several internal and external conditions. Charles O. Jones of the University of Arizona identifies and analyzes these conditions and categorizes the type of minority party influence that will result under certain conditions in his paper "The Minority Party and Policy-Making In The House Of Representatives." The following is a synopsis of the former.

External Conditions:
1. The general temper of the times, is there a particular general issue or mindset dominating policy making such. 911 is an example of an external event that dominated policy making and made anti-terrorism a top priority for Americans.
2. The relative political strength of the minority party outside of Congress. Is the party strong or weak in local or state governments or bureaucracies?
3. How united is the national party?
4. Is the President of the minority or majority?

Internal Conditions:

1. Rules and procedures of the House. Where there recently large or small changes?
2. The size of the majority and minority.
3. The strength of the majority party leadership and organization.
4. The strength of the minority party leadership and organization.

Depending on where all of the Internal and External conditions end up, the minority party will fall into one of 3 categories or roles:

1. Restricted Minority: majority party president and the actives and political strategies are limited by political conditions inside and outside of Congress. These minorities are usually limited to supporting the majority or offer inconsequential opposition. Relatively little, if any, influence on policy. Must focus on next election.
2. Participating Minority: minority party president but still limited by internal and external conditions.
3. Unrestricted Minority: one with a minority party president and favorable internal and external conditions.

Participating and Unrestricted Minorities have a number of strategies at their disposal:
- Consequential Partisan Opposition: employed to defeat the majority party through absorbing defectors.
- Consequential Constructive Opposition: the minority party counters the majority with their own proposals.
- Innovation: the minority party initiates its own proposals and builds their own coalition.
- Cooperation: the minority and majority work together.