ABSTRACT
A floor leader wears many hats, one of which—legislative strategist—was on vivid display during that 2010 meeting in the Strom Thurmond Room. Yet, much of a floor leader’s activities and the workings of his office are invisible to all but a handful of political insiders. Because floor leadership is governed by little formal authority, there is a fair amount of fluidity in how the responsibilities of the position are carried out. Much of a leader’s conduct is, of course, defined by the political context in which he operates (e.g., which party controls which house of Congress and by what margin). Nonetheless, an individual’s personal attributes contribute a great deal to how a floor leader exercises his duties and what he seeks to emphasize during his tenure. In the years since World War I, floor-leader duties have gradually expanded to include those of high-level policymaker, Senate and party spokesperson, institutional defender, presidential liaison, political strategist, and party fundraiser.
