What determines who holds the postion of speaker of the house?
He or she is elected by a caucus of members of the majority party in the House.
After the majority (and minority) have selected their candidates for Speaker, there is a vote of the full House which the majority party always wins. If a member does not vote for his or her party's candidate, that person is dealt with severely by being denied committee assignments. That rarely happens.
If there were a strong third party in the US House, some sort of coalition might have to be formed to elect a Speaker with a majority. This has not happened in modern times.
The Speaker of the House is determined through a series of steps and processes within the legislative body. Here's an explanation of how this position is determined:
1. Election of Representatives: The first step is the election of members of the House of Representatives. Every two years, all 435 seats in the House are up for election. The political party that wins the majority of seats forms the majority party in the House.
2. Selection of Party Leadership: After the election, each political party in the House selects its leadership, including the Speaker of the House. The Speaker is typically chosen by members of the majority party in a closed-door caucus or meeting.
3. Speaker Nomination: During the caucus, members of the majority party nominate candidates for the position of Speaker. These candidates can be incumbent Speakers seeking reelection or other members of the party who are interested in the position.
4. Speaker Election: Once the nominations are made, the full House of Representatives holds a formal vote to elect the Speaker. It is usually the first order of business on the opening day of a new congressional session. Each member casts their vote, and the candidate who receives an absolute majority of votes (at least 218 out of 435) becomes the Speaker.
5. Acceptance and Swearing-In: If a nominee receives the necessary majority of votes, they must accept the election and take the oath of office. The Speaker then assumes the duties and responsibilities of the position.
It's worth noting that while the majority party typically elects the Speaker, there have been instances of members from the minority party receiving votes and being elected Speaker with support from both parties. This can occur when there is a divided House or during periods of political compromise.