Lyndon Johnson

In his analysis of Lyndon Johnson, Robert Caro proposed that Johnson's persuasiveness consisted of two levels: face-to-face personal charm, and the position of power he occupied with levers of reward and punishment.

During his time as Senate Majority Leader in the 1950s, Johnson was known for his mastery of Senate rules and interpersonal skills.

Johnson controlled the allocation of Senate committee seats, bill scheduling and the flow of resources, and these institutional powers formed the basis of his ability to persuade colleagues.

The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 involved a deal Johnson constructed: western senators got a vote on a federal dam between Idaho and Oregon; midwestern Republicans got the extension of jury trials to striking workers; moderates got a guarantee of a provision allowing Black people to serve on federal juries; and the jury-trial protection for southern election officials was retained.

When Johnson became party leader at age 44, the average age of the Senate was about 60, and almost no one wanted this "thankless and useless" job.

Senator Paul Douglas, assessing the Senate under Johnson, said: "All the action took place before the curtain went up."

Johnson changed committee seat allocation from seniority to negotiation by a steering committee he controlled; in 1957, when Senator Kefauver voted against Johnson on an important motion, the Foreign Relations Committee seat he expected was given that same week to the far more junior John F. Kennedy.

Johnson made "unanimous consent agreements" the norm, allowing no bill onto the floor before an agreement was reached, so that votes were predetermined in private through his leverage trading.