Party leaders dominate today’s Senate because rank-and-file senators increasingly defer to them - not because the chamber’s rules require it. Senators accepted less influence over legislation in exchange for a more predictable schedule, fewer difficult votes, and less responsibility for making the Senate work.

The Senate did not always rely on cloture, closed-door negotiations, and powerful party leaders to pass legislation. Committees developed bills, senators debated and amended them on the floor, and majority leaders managed the process without controlling it.