Abstract:
In November 1984, Representative Vera Katz decided to run for the position of speaker of the house of the Oregon Legislature. If elected, she stood to become the first female speaker in state history, and only the fifth American woman to preside over a state assembly. Katz faced an uphill battle. The outspoken Portland lawmaker had made enemies during her 12 years in the House, and was not a typical candidate. A one-time refugee from Nazi Germany, Katz had been raised in Brooklyn, NY, moving to Portland in the mid-1960s. She won election on a reform platform, espousing a range of liberal causes. By 1984, however, she had moved to the center, gaining budget experience as chairperson of the Ways and Means Committee. In that role, she faced opposition from both ends of the political spectrum. The case tells the story of Katz's successful 1985 bid for the speakership of the Oregon House with special emphasis on a decision whether to promise a committee chair to a legislator in exchange for a bloc of votes.
Learning Objective:
By placing students in the position of a candidate for speaker and, later, of the newly elected speaker, it raises questions of leadership styles, political strategy, and the role and importance of gender in legislative politics. The case can also be used as a general introduction to the legislative arena.
