McCarthy will help craft the message that Republicans will deliver to voters about what they will do if they actually win control of the House. He has dubbed the project the “Commitment to America,” echoing the 1994 “Contract With America” that many Republican candidates used as a basis for their campaigns.

While not criticizing the original Contract, McCarthy says he wants the current document to emerge from the party’s grass roots rather than be written by party leaders in Washington. In an effort likely to start this summer, Republicans will use the Internet and other forums to engage in a listening tour, allowing the public, particularly conservatives, to offer input on the GOP’s agenda.

“I don’t know what’s going to be in it,” McCarthy said. “The American people are going to engage the ideas and decide. You have to make sure you create something that is transparent and not Washington-based.”

Republicans are seeking advice from a variety of figures on the project, including former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who helped write the original Contract, and Marco Rubio, the Senate candidate who engaged in an idea-generation project when he was Florida House speaker that resulted in the book “100 Innovative Ideas for Florida’s Future.”