POSITIVE THEORIES OF CONGRESSIONAL INSTITUTIONS

This paper surveys the range of formal theories that have been develop ed in recent years to accommodate and explain various legislative prac tices. The newer theories, especially those emphasizing informational aspects of decision making and partisan features of legislative politi cs, constitute departures from an earlier tradition of modeling gains from exchange. The authors suggest how these newer developments blend with their forebears and yet still constitute critical departures. The se approaches, it is argued, may be distinguished from one another by the weight each places on the demand side and supply side of legislati ve decision making.