Journal Articles

Distributive politics, the electoral connection, and the antebellum US Congress: The case of military service pensions

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We investigate the rise of federal military pensions in the antebellum US Congress to examine
whether key aspects of the contemporary electoral connection were present in earlier historical
eras. Overall, the political responses of members of Congress to pressures for military service
pensions reveal that the quest for credit-claiming opportunities significantly shaped the adoption and evolution of this type of distributive legislation. Analyzing key legislative activity from 1818
to 1832, we find that members’ electoral interests gave rise to a particularistic and often
inefficient system of benefits. Specifically, what began as a relatively simple program to provide
for disabled Revolutionary War veterans grew into a broader entitlement-style program based on
military service that legislators carefully cultivated in order to maximize their prospects for
subsequent political advantage. Our analysis thus reveals that crucial features of the electoral
connection were indeed present in the antebellum-era Congress, a finding that broadens our
collective understanding of the early foundations of American political development.

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Detail Information

Series Title

Journal of Theoretical Politics

Call Number

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Publisher

Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage Publications., 2016

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

0951-6298

Classification

NONE

Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

Volume 28, Issue 2, April 2016 ; pp. 192–224

Subject(s)

Elections
Congress
Pensions

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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