POLITICAL AMBITIONS EFFECT ON LEGISLATIVE BEHAVIOR - SCHLESINGER TYPOLOGY RECONSIDERED AND REVISED

According to Schlesinger's ambition theory, legislators seeking higher office behave differently from their less ambitious colleagues. In th is note we examine Schlesinger's proposition that political ambition a ffects legislators' behavior. In the process, we argue that Schlesinge r's typology of political ambition should be expanded to include intra institutional ambition-the members' desire for leadership positions wi thin their present institution. Using data on U.S. House members we co nclude that intrainstitutional ambition is distinct from both progress ive and static ambition with each type of ambition exhibiting unique e ffects on various measures of legislative behavior.