Stars on Capitol Hill: Explaining celebrity appearances in congressional committee hearings

Harry Cornelius Strine, Purdue University

Abstract

This research paper seeks to explain why celebrities appear before congressional committee hearings between 1973 and 1999 by evaluating the personal ambitions of members of Congress and the collective goals of congressional committees. Using logistic regression, I use Fenno's committee typology (Prestige, Constituent, and Policy) to predict which committees are most likely to invite celebrity witnesses. I also test various individual-level markers of ambition for committee chairs to predict which committee chair is most likely to invite a celebrity witness. In sum, the results appear to suggest that “prestige” committees and chairs who are ideological outliers are more likely to invite celebrity witnesses than other committee chairs. Also, using The New York Times as a marker there is no significant difference in the amount of media attention given to committees hosting celebrity witnesses versus committees which do not invite celebrity witnesses. Finally, a comprehensive examination of a sample hearing with both celebrity and non-celebrity witnesses revealed better treatment of the celebrities by the committee members and that celebrities adopted a rhetorical strategy of “identifying with the common man” in their opening statements.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

McCann, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Political science

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