Congressional Whip

Written By Jonathan Milner

Definition

A party leader who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature. Both parties in the Senate elect whips. Both parties in the House elect whips. The term "whip" comes from a fox-hunting expression -- "whipper-in" -- referring to the member of the hunting team responsible for keeping the dogs from straying from the team during a chase. Established early in the 20th century, the development of party whips coincided with the evolution of party leaders in the Senate. Democrat James Hamilton Lewis of Illinois became the first party whip in 1913, and the Republicans established their own whip position two years later. These assistant leaders are mainly responsible for counting heads and rounding up party members for votes and quorum calls, and they occasionally stand in for the majority or minority leaders in their absence. Here's a list of all the US Senate whips ever! And here's a link to the classic new wave song by Devo, Whip it. The main job of the party whip is to get their party members to vote along party lines. If a congressperson does not follow the whip's lead they might not get the funding they want for the next election cycle.

Example

 
 

Questions

  1. What do House whips do?

  2. What do Senate whips do?

  3. Do both parties have a whip?

  4. How are whips picked?

  5. What is the relationship between whips and their party leadership?

  6. What is the main job of the whip?

  7. What are two things a whip could do to party rank-and-file members who do not vote along party lines?

  8. Who are the current House Republican and Democratic whips and the current Senate whips?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to draw Congressional whips. Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

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Jonathan Milner

Civics Maven!

https://www.gopopro.com/
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