 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
| Part of thepolitics series |
| Party politics |
|---|
 Politics portal |
Theminority leader inU.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing thepresidential system) is thefloor leader of the second largestcaucus in alegislative body.[1] Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either aRepublican or aDemocrat. The position could be considered similar to that of theleader of the opposition inparliamentary systems. Inbicameral legislatures, the counterpart to the minority leader in thelower house is thespeaker, and themajority leader is hence only the second-most senior member of the majority caucus. Contrastingly, inupper houses, the titular speaker is frequently a separately elected officer such as alieutenant governor orvice president.
The minority leader is often assisted in their role by one or morewhips, whose job is to enforceparty discipline on votes deemed to be crucial by the party leadership and to ensure that members do not vote against the position of the party leaders. Some votes are deemed to be so crucial as to lead to punitive measures (such as demotion from choice committee assignments) for members who violate the party line; decisions such as these are often made by the minority leader in conjunction with other senior party leaders.
In astate where theexecutive branch and both houses of the state legislature are controlled by the other party, the minority leader of one of the houses (most often the upper one) may be seen as the most senior member of the party in that state with regard to state government (although inferior in rank to aUnited States senator orUnited States representative, if there be such in that party from that state).
At times, particularly during crucial legislation, the minority leader may be consulted by the opposite leader in order to more easily get things passed and ensure that provisions important to the interests the minority party be included. The level of partisanship in state legislative bodies varies greatly from one state to another.
