Assessing Nancy Pelosi

Ronald M. Peters Jr., University of Oklahoma
Cindy Simon Rosenthal, University of Oklahoma

Abstract

Congressional scholars have devoted considerably more attention to describing and explaining congressional leadership than to evaluating it. The election of Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives provides fresh occasion for consideration of normative criteria for assessing leadership performance. In this article we develop a set of normative criteria grounded in congressional leadership theory. We discuss recent speakerships in relationship to these criteria. We then assess Speaker Pelosi's performance in the 110th Congress. We conclude that by each criterion, she has provided effective leadership; however, we regard any assessment at this point to be provisional. Important tests of her leadership are yet to come.

Recommended Citation

Peters, Ronald M. Jr. and Rosenthal, Cindy Simon (2008) "Assessing Nancy Pelosi," The Forum: Vol. 6 : Iss. 3, Article 5.
DOI: 10.2202/1540-8884.1259
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/forum/vol6/iss3/art5

 
 
 
 

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