Deployed to the Hill
Military Experience and Legislative Behavior in Congress
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6340955 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joseph G Amoroso (0000-0002-5008-333X, Department of Social Sciences, United States Military Academy West Point, NY, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 78 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 358-375 |
| Publication date | 2025-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Political Research Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1065-9129 • E-ISSN: 1938-274X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10659129241298960 |
| OpenAlex | W4404412436 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 61 |
Congress is more polarized than ever. At the same time, there are fewer military veterans serving in Congress than ever before. Candidates with military experience, along with their supporters, argue that electing more veterans could help reduce dysfunction and gridlock. They claim that military values, such as duty and teamwork, translate into differences in legislative behavior. But are veteran lawmakers more effective than those without military experience? Are they more bipartisan? Using House data from the 104th to 116th Congresses (1995–2021), I examine the extent to which military experience influences a lawmaker’s ability to legislate and engage in bipartisan behavior. I find that veteran lawmakers are more effective at advancing consequential legislation. Additionally, veterans appear more willing to collaborate with members of the opposite party, especially in recent Congresses. These effects are particularly evident among those who served on active duty. I conclude by considering the implications of these findings for maintaining healthy civil-military relations in America
Economics · Legislature · Political economy · Political science · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Gender Politics and Representation · Law · Psychology · Public Administration
Is Bipartisanship Dead?
Congress and the Politics of Problem Solving
Personal Roots of Representation
The Limits of Party
Legislating in the Dark
Legislative Effectiveness in the United States Congress
Trust
Military CEOs
The Reasoning Voter
Pivotal Politics
Beyond Ideology
Insecure Majorities
The Political Education of Soldiers
Congress, The Electoral Connection
The Behavior and Success of Latino Legislators
The Soldier and the State
Partisan Dimensions of Confidence in the U.S. Military, 1973–2016
Our Army
Position Taking and Cosponsorship in the U.S. House
Does the Numerical Underrepresentation of the Working Class in Congress Matter
Last Post for “The Greatest Generation
Nice Girls? Sex, Collegiality, and Bipartisan Cooperation in the US Congress
The Bipartisan Path to Effective Lawmaking
Expertise, Networks, and Interpersonal Influence in Congress
The Relational Determinants of Legislative Outcomes
Show Horses & Work Horses in the United States House of Representatives
Representing Latinos
Would You Like to Know More? Selection, Socialization, and the Political Attitudes of Military Veterans
Out of the Service, Into the House
Be All that You Can Be
Connecting the Congress
Party Polarization in the US Congress
It Takes a Coalition
Legislative Professionalization and Membership Diversity in State Legislatures
Are Soldiers Less War-Prone than Statesmen
Sizing Up the Adversary
Can We Generalize from Student Experiments to the Real World in Political Science, Military Affairs, and International Relations
Military Experience and Elite Decision-Making
How Prior Military Experience Influences the Future Militarized Behavior of Leaders
Female Candidates and Legislators
When Are Women More Effective Lawmakers Than Men
Descriptive and Substantive Representation in Congress
The Jackie (and Jill) Robinson Effect
Limited Time, Limited Resources
Rethinking Representation
Military service and political participation in the United States
The Effect of Military Service on Political Attitudes
Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick? Veterans in the Political Elite and the American Use of Force
Self-Selection, Socialization, And Distinctive Military Values
Military Service and Legislative Agendas
Propensity to Serve and Motivation to Enlist among American Combat Soldiers
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |