Editing Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (section)

===20th century===
[[File:JGCannon.jpg|thumb|upright=.90|[[Joseph Gurney Cannon]] (1903–1911) is often considered the most powerful speaker.]]

The speakership reached its apogee during the term of Republican [[Joseph Gurney Cannon]] (1903–1911). Cannon exercised extraordinary control over the legislative process. He determined the agenda of the House, appointed the members of all committees, chose committee chairmen, headed the Rules Committee, and determined which committee heard each bill. He vigorously used his powers to ensure that Republican proposals were passed by the House. In 1910, however, Democrats and several dissatisfied Republicans joined to strip Cannon of many of his powers, including the ability to name committee members and his chairmanship of the Rules Committee.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jones|first=Charles O.|author-link=Charles O. Jones|date=August 1968|title=Joseph G. Cannon and Howard W. Smith: An Essay on the Limits of Leadership in the House of Representatives|journal=[[The Journal of Politics]]|volume=30|issue=3|pages=617–646|doi=10.2307/2128798|jstor=2128798|s2cid=154012153}}</ref> Fifteen years later, Speaker [[Nicholas Longworth]] restored much, but not all, of the lost influence of the position.

[[File:Sam Rayburn.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.90|[[Sam Rayburn]] (1940–1947; 1949–1953; and 1955–1961) was the longest serving speaker.]]
One of the most influential speakers in history was Democrat [[Sam Rayburn]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thc.state.tx.us/samrayhouse/srhdefault.html|title=Sam Rayburn House Museum|publisher=Texas Historical Commission |access-date= July 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701112906/http://www.thc.state.tx.us/samrayhouse/srhdefault.html|archive-date=July 1, 2007}}</ref> Rayburn had the most cumulative time as speaker in history, holding office from 1940 to 1947, 1949 to 1953, and 1955 to 1961. He helped shape many bills, working quietly in the background with House committees. He also helped ensure the passage of several domestic measures and foreign assistance programs advocated by Presidents [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and [[Harry Truman]].

Rayburn's successor, Democrat [[John W. McCormack]] (served 1962–1971), was a somewhat less influential speaker, particularly because of dissent from younger members of the Democratic Party. During the mid-1970s, the power of the speakership once again grew under Democrat [[Carl Albert]]. The Committee on Rules ceased to be a semi-independent panel, as it had been since 1910. Instead, it once again became an arm of the party leadership. Moreover, in 1975, the speaker was granted the authority to appoint a majority of the members of the Rules Committee. Meanwhile, the power of committee chairmen was curtailed, further increasing the relative influence of the speaker.

Albert's successor, Democrat [[Tip O'Neill]], was a prominent speaker because of his public opposition to the policies of President [[Ronald Reagan]]. O'Neill is the longest continuously serving speaker, from 1977 through 1987. He challenged Reagan on domestic programs and on defense expenditures. Republicans made O'Neill the target of their election campaigns in 1980 and 1982 but Democrats managed to retain their majorities in both years.

The roles of the parties reversed in 1994 when, after spending forty years in the minority, the Republicans regained control of the House with the "[[Contract with America]]", an idea spearheaded by [[Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives|Minority Whip]] [[Newt Gingrich]]. 
[[File:Dennis_Hastert_109th_pictorial_photo.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.90|[[Dennis Hastert]] (1999-2007) was the longest serving Republican speaker.]]
Speaker Gingrich would regularly clash with Democratic President [[Bill Clinton]], leading to the [[United States federal government shutdown of 1995 and 1996]], in which Clinton was largely seen to have prevailed. Gingrich's hold on the leadership was weakened significantly by that and several other controversies, and he faced a caucus revolt in 1997. 

After the Republicans lost House seats in 1998 (although retaining a majority) he did not stand for a third term as speaker. His successor, [[Dennis Hastert]], had been chosen as a compromise candidate since the other Republicans in the leadership were more controversial. 

Hastert, who had been serving in the House since 1986, became the longest serving Republican speaker (1999-2007). Hastert led the campaign to elect [[Tom DeLay]], with whom he developed a close and effective partnership, as House Majority Whip.