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SECTION TWO ESTABLISHES THE ROLE OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. BUT THE FOUNDERS DIDN’T SAY MUCH MORE ABOUT THE JOB. NOW, SOME 200 YEARS LATER, THE POSITION HAS BEEN AT THE HEART OF DRAMATIC POLITICAL CONTROVERSY ON CAPITOL HILL. SO LET’S GET SOME CONTEXT ON EXACTLY WHAT THE SPEAKER DOES WITH THE POWER OF THE ROLE AND HOW IT’S EVOLVED OVER TIME. CHARLES STEWART IS A POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT MIT. HE’S ALSO THE COAUTHOR OF FIGHTING FOR THE SPEAKERSHIP. IT’S SO NICE TO HAVE YOU IN OUR STUDIO. NICE TO BE HERE. THANK YOU. SO WHAT WAS THE ROLE FOR THE SPEAKERSHIP THAT OUR FOUNDERS ACTUALLY HAD? WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY CREATED THE OFFICE AND THEN DIDN’T SAY MUCH ABOUT IT IN THE FIRST FEW YEARS. THERE WASN’T MUCH AUTHORITY IN THE SPEAKER. SO IT’S REALLY BEEN A ROLE THAT’S EVOLVED OVER THE 250 YEARS OR SO OF OF AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY. HAS THAT EVOLUTION SURPRISED YOU AS A PERSON WHO STUDIES LITERALLY ALL THE SPEAKERS THROUGH HISTORY? IT HASN’T SURPRISED ME IN THE SENSE THAT AS THE FOUNDERS TOLD US IN THE FEDERALIST AND OTHER PLACES THAT POLITICIANS GO FOR POWER. WHAT’S KIND OF SURPRISING, MAYBE, IS THAT IT TOOK SO LONG, LONG FOR THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND THE LEADERS THERE REALLY TO TO PUT TOGETHER THE MECHANISMS OF STRONG CAUCUSES OF USED THING THE ASSIGNMENTS TO COMMITTEES AS CHITS TO BE GIVEN OUT PROPOSAL POWERS AGENDA SETTING POWERS. THERE’S A LOT OF ELEMENTS TO EXERCISING POWER IN A LEGISLATURE AND IT TOOK ABOUT A CENTURY TO FIGURE THAT OUT. THERE’S BEEN A FAIR AMOUNT OF REPORTING THAT HAS INDICATED WITHOUT A SPEAKER, CONGRESS IS KIND OF STUCK. IS THAT TRUE THAT CONGRESS REALLY CAN’T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THEY FILL THAT ROLE OF SPEAKER? THAT’S A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION, AND IT’S ACTUALLY A QUESTION THAT’S BEING BATTED AROUND AMONG EXPERTS IN THE INSTITUTION. MY READING, FOR INSTANCE, OF THE RULE THAT PROVIDES FOR A SPEAKER PRO TEM, THE PLAIN MEANING OF THE LANGUAGE IN THAT RULE IS THAT THE SPEAKER PRO TEM HAS ALL OF THE AUTHORITY OF A SPEAKER. SO THE SPEAKER PRO TEM COULD ASSIGN BILLS. ET CETERA. BASICALLY IS THE SPEAKER TILL THERE’S ANOTHER SPEAKER. EXACTLY. SO THAT’S ONE VIEW. OTHER PEOPLE DON’T TAKE THAT VIEW. ANOTHER THING THAT EXPERTS DISTINGUISH IS THE POWER OF THE SPEAKER AND THE POWER OF THE HOUSE. THE HOUSE HAS ALL SORTS OF AUTHORITY WITH THE SPEAKER JUST SITTING THERE AND POINTING TO PEOPLE. SOMEBODY WHO CAN GET UP AND MAKE A RESOLUTION, MAKE A MOTION. AND SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO GET UP AND OFFER A RESOLUTION OR A BILL TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO ISRAEL, THE HOUSE COULD DO THAT, COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT. SO I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING, THOUGH, IS THAT WITHOUT AN ELECTED SPEAKER THERE, THERE’S NOT THE POLITICAL POWER AND AUTHORITY BEHIND IT. AND SO HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THAT MOTION IS GOING TO PASS? HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT MOTION WON’T BE VETOED? YOU NEED SOMEBODY WHO HAS THAT POLITICAL AUTHORITY AND TRUST IN THE MEMBERS TO MAKE ANY OF THESE OTHER THINGS MATTER. IN ALL THE YEARS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN EXAMINING THIS ROLE IN THE CONGRESS AS A WHOLE, WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST IN A NATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NAYSAYERS AND DISTRUSTING OF AUTHORITY, DISTRUSTING OF INSTITUTIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES? THE AMERICAN CONGRESS REMAINS AS THE MOST CAPABLE PARLIAMENTARY INSTITUTION ON THIS PLANET. MOST OF THE COUNTRIES, THE AGENDA IS DRIVEN ENTIRELY BY THE EXECUTIVE. AND HERE FOR THE LEGISLATURE HAS TO DRIVE A LOT OF THAT. AND THAT’S HARD TO DO SOMETIMES. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO DO. AND MAYBE IT’S SORT OF LIKE SAYING I HAVE THE BEST DANCING DOG IN THE COUNTY, BUT IT STILL THEY DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT OTHER PARLIAMENTS JUST WOULD HAVE NO ABILITY TO DO AT ALL. PROFESSOR CHARLES STEWART OF MI