Speaker Johnson’s choice to lead by following the president goes against 200 years of House speakers building up the office’s power

By: SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor, University of Virginia, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 1, 2025

Words: 1,352

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

By SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor, University of Virginia

When the framers of what became the U.S. Constitution set out to draft the rules of our government on a hot, humid day in the summer of 1787, debates over details raged on.

But one thing the men agreed on was the power of a new, representative legislative branch. Article I – the first one, after all – details the awesome responsibilities of the House of …

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