Originally Posted By: peter
Ah, so there's no equivalent of the whip system? or it doesn't work in the same way?

There is, but it's not as strong as it is in the UK.

My understanding of the UK election system is that while you're technically voting for an individual, you're really voting for the party. Whereas in the US, you're definitely voting for the individual, and their party affiliation is almost more of a shorthand for the things they're likely to support rather than an ironclad rule.

Virtually no one votes with their party 100% of the time. Statistics on the current session of Congress show that party loyalty ranges from 98% to 58%, with a median of about 92%, for the Senate (the upper house) and 99% to 64% with a median of about 95% for the House of Representatives (the lower house).

No one is kicked out of a party in the US. Compliance is enforced through reelection support, committee assignment, and general assignation of relevance. There are, however, caucuses in Congress that are unofficial groups of congressmen that often function as a bloc and can help defend their more junior members.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk