455 House Committee on Rules, 1937–52 LEGISLATIVE STUDIES QUARTERLY, XXXIV, 4, November 2009 455 ERIC SCHICKLER University of California, Berkeley KATHRYN PEARSON University of Minnesota Agenda Control, Majority Party Power, and the House Committee on Rules, 1937–52 The role of the U.S. House Rules Committee is consequential for theories of congressional parties, yet its role during the “conservative coalition” era is not well understood. We systematically analyzed the politics surrounding all special rules considered in Democratic Congresses from 1937 to 1952. We found that Rules repeatedly used its agenda power to push to the floor conservative initiatives that were opposed by the Democratic administration, the Rules Committee chair, and most northern Democrats, especially in Congresses that followed Republican election gains. The 44 conservative initiatives we identified include many of the most important policy issues considered during the period. Our findings challenge the idea that the majority party has consistently enjoyed a veto over which initiatives reach the floor, and they underscore the limits of roll-call-vote analysis in assessments of agenda control. Determining who sets the agenda in a representative body is critical to understanding legislative organization. Scholars have debated whether the majority party has a veto over which initiatives reach the U.S. House floor or if, instead, cross-party coalitions have substantial opportunities to shape the floor agenda even when doing so threatens the majority party’s interests. The House Rules Committee has for decades stood at the center of controversies concerning agenda control. Most major legislation cannot be considered until the House passes a special rule crafted and reported by the Rules Committee. These special rules specify the length of debate and, more important, whether or not members can offer amendments on the House floor. Understanding agenda control in the House of Representatives requires assessing if the Rules Committee has consistently served as a faithful agent of the majority party.