Described as the most exclusive club in the world, the Senate for many years also contained an “inner club.” Theoretically, all senators are equal, but members of the “inner club” were committee chairmen and other senior senators who held greater power and influence over legislation than the average senator did. Conservative Southern Democrats, because of their seniority, made up the largest share of this “inner club,” which was also called the “Senate establishment.” By contrast, Northern liberals were relegated to the “outer life of the Senate.” By the 1970s committee reforms had given more senators subcommittee chairmanships and other access to power. Although some senators remained more powerful than others, the “inner club” faded away.
Sources
- William S. White, Citadel The Story of the U.S. Senate (New York: Harper, 1956)
