New Scientist: Biases Revealed in House of Reps

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Mason Porter, Georgia Institute of Technology
Peter Mucha, Georgia Institute of Technology
James Fowler, University of California
Congress Information, US Library of Congress
US Code
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

A mathematical study of the US House of Representatives reveals clear partisanship - including stacked committees - within the House.


While this may not surprise political analysts, the objective analysis contradicts the US Code, which outlines US laws and suggests a just system in which all legislation receives a fair hearing from politicians who put the country's interests ahead of their political party's. The words "non-partisan" and "unbiased" appear frequently in the code.


Among the study's findings is that the membership of the Select Committee on Homeland Security, formed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, is closely tied to the House Rules Committee, a powerful group involved in the regulation of all committees and House members. But, contrary to expectation, the Homeland Security committee does not have many members in common with the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.


The paper identifies the House Rules, Judiciary, and Homeland Security committees as being the most partisan while the Intelligence committee is one of the least partisan.


The analysis also identifies the House's most partisan members. They include Republican representatives Tancredo, Shadegg, Ryun, and Schaffer, and Democrat representatives Schakowsky, McGovern, Solis, Pelosi, and Woolsey.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7386