Political opportunity for federal appointment: The case of departing members of the u.s. house of representatives, 1961—1992

This article investigates whether the opportunity for presidential appointment influences the congressional career. We discover that more than 16% of the House members who retired or suffered electoral defeat from 1961 to 1992 received a federal appointment. The likelihood of appointment rises to 28% if only departing representatives from the president’s party are considered. For members of the president’s party, legislative loyalty and losing a Senate bid significantly increase the probability of appointment. We also find evidence of a cabinet norm in the appointment process since more than half of the appointed representatives had congressional committee experience within the policy jurisdiction of their federal appointment. Our results have implications for research on progressive ambition, voluntary retirement, and the federal bureaucracy.