A SEQUENTIAL CHOICE THEORY PERSPECTIVE ON LEGISLATIVE ORGANIZATION

This essay presents a sequential choice theory of legislative organization as an alternative to social choice theories. Because of the sequential process of proposal making and voting, sequential choice theory yields equilibrium predictions for both particularistic goods programs and unidimensional and multidimensional collective goods programs. The theory thus does not require legislative organization and procedures to yield stability. Although this study does not present a formal theory of the choice of legislative organization, sequential choice theory allows an assessment of collective and individualistic incentives for the choice of legislative organization and procedures. For example, the legislature has collective incentives to control individualistic incentives and can exercise control by allowing amendments to committee proposals. Sequential choice theory also addresses the durability issue that arises because current legislatures cannot bind future legislatures. In the theory, legislators position programs strategically to limit future changes.