A voluntary membership organization in Congress centering around
a particular issue or cause.
For the First Time in Forever
Though they are not mentioned in the Constitution, caucuses,
sometimes referred to as Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs),
have been a part of American government since the earliest days of
the republic. Members of Congress have always coalesced around
informal member organizations, the predecessors to today's
caucuses. Early examples include those related
to the War of 1812, temperance, and abolition.
There are hundreds of caucuses today,
broken down by ideology, affinity, and other common interests. The
leading ideological caucuses are the Congressional Progressive
Caucus and the Republican Study Committee. The Congressional Black
Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional
Asian Pacific American Caucus, collectively known as the
Tri-Caucus, are extremely influential.
