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On congressional law enforcement

October 8, 2018  ·  J. Richard Broughton
The early years of the Trump presidency have helped to shine a renewed national spotlight on the constitutional separation of powers. In particular, the investigations into Russian active measures… Read More

ICYMI: Top reads on Congress

October 5, 2018  ·  Marian Currinder
Seth Masket, “What Can We Learn From Jeff Flake’s About-Face?” Pacific Standard: “The FBI investigation and other political events over the next week may end up having little effect… Read More

AIN’s Congressional Exit Interviews (Event Video Oct. 4, 2018): Rep. Ryan Costello (R-Penn.) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.)

October 4, 2018  ·  Aubrey Neal
Join R Street Institutes’ American Institutions Network (AIN) as we sit down with retiring Congressmen for the first of its kind, groundbreaking panel series, AIN’s Congressional Exit Interviews. The… Read More

New Nomination Rules and the Kavanaugh Nomination: Consequences for the Senate

October 4, 2018  ·  Joshua Huder
The Senate, for the first time in over 200 years, is considering a Supreme Court nominee entirely under a majority process. Brett Kavanaugh is proceeding through the full confirmation… Read More

Lame ducks and congressional accountability

October 4, 2018  ·  James Wallner
(Editor’s note: This piece originally appeared in Law and Liberty on October 3, 2018.) The ranks of those writing about the state of American governance have swelled recently… Read More

How Senators use Twitter to communicate legislative activity

October 3, 2018  ·  Annelise Russell
Congress has experienced much change over the last 50 years, including increased party polarization, committee system reforms, and the rise of social media. The way members communicate with their… Read More

FBI to conduct private investigation into sexual assault claims against Kavanaugh

October 2, 2018  ·  Aubrey Neal
Upon the conclusion of the Senate Judiciary’s confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh and the accompanying testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Sen. Jeff Flake conditioned his support on a… Read More

Machine learning improves our understanding of how laws are made and who deserves credit for them

October 2, 2018  ·  Andreu Casas, Matthew J. Denny, and John Wilkerson
In the early years of his long congressional tenure, Senator Warren Magnuson (D-WA) was known as an effective purveyor of pork. Following a tough reelection campaign in 1962 and… Read More

ICYMI: Rebuilding a technology assessment office in Congress: Frequently asked questions

October 1, 2018  ·  LegBranch Team
Congress is not known for being particularly tech savvy. This reputation comes in part from its quaint anachronisms, such as prominent Members’ desire to eschew email and smartphones,… Read More

ICYMI: Top reads on Congress

September 28, 2018  ·  Marian Currinder
Paul Kane, “Senate’s seniority rules raise questions when presidential succession is at stake,” Washington Post: “A random quirk in Senate custom grants the position of president pro tempore to… Read More