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Congressional reform without the ideology
Congress needs therapy. Everyone seems to think that the institution isn’t doing its job, but too often what is described as the “problem” doesn’t clearly identify what might be the… Read More
ICYMI: Top reads on Congress
Kevin Schaul and Kevin Uhrmacher, “Democrats’ generational gap grows with return of Speaker Pelosi and longtime deputies,” Washington Post: “There’s a new crop of lawmakers starting on Capitol Hill… Read More
The Fall of Jim Wright—and the House of Representatives
Those of us seeking to understand what has gone wrong with Congress are always on the lookout for characters who can be cast as villains in the institution’s history. Read More
House Democrats revealed their rules package. Here are the biggies.
Late Tuesday night, House Democrats unveiled a wide-ranging set of proposed rules changes. As expected, the changes concentrate on member ethics and corruption, but also touch on issues of… Read More
Congress in 2019: The 2nd most educated and least politically experienced House freshman class
As we outlined in an earlier article, the 116th Congress is going to look a lot different than its predecessors thanks to a younger, more female, less white new… Read More
ICYMI: Top reads on Congress
Dean DiChiaro, “In Oversight Role, House Democrats Aim for Both Check and Balance,” Roll Call: “Partisan tensions in Washington already reached a fever pitch during Trump’s first two years… Read More
“Why We Left Congress”: Excerpts of Our Conversation with Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL)
Four-term Congressman Dennis Ross (R-FL) was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives during the 2010 midterm elections. Ross first represented Florida’s 12th Congressional District. He has represented Florida’s 15th… Read More
Staff perspectives on the state of constituent correspondence in the U.S. Congress
Recent investigations provide some of the first examinations of the systemic flow of telephone, email, fax, and social media correspondence through Members’ offices. These investigations find little evidence… Read More
“Why We Left Congress”: Excerpts of Our Conversation with Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA)
Congressman Charlie Dent (R-PA) represented Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District from January 2005 until he resigned in May 2018. During his tenure, Dent held a number of leadership positions. For two… Read More
Human capital and institutional decline in congressional appropriations committees
The new, divided Congress about to be seated in January will feature one of the most reform-minded freshman classes in recent congressional history. As Congress considers sweeping electoral and institutional… Read More