The theory of presidential influence over Congress is used to predict the impact of presidential activity on congressional activity related to crime control policy. It is hypothesized that, the more attention presidents give to the issue of crime, the more attention Congress will give to the topic through congressional committee hearings. Utilizing a time series regression analysis of data collected from the Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States and the Center for American Politics and Public Policy's database on congressional hearings from 1946 to 1994, and controlling for other variables such as crime, media, and divided or undivided government, it was found that presidential activity on crime, with a one-year lag, influences congressional committee hearings on crime.
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