Congressional Reform Task Force Report
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Hearing on growing government, diminishing congressional capacity, and strengthening Congress
The Select Committee on the modernization of Congress held a hearing yesterday. The topic was “restoring capacity and equipping Congress to better serve the American people.” Posted below… Read More
Losing staff can make you a less effective lawmaker
The modern Congress is, in many ways, held together by a cadre of talented, but under-resourced, professionals. As the lawmaking environment continues to grow more complex, congressional offices… Read More
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about educational pipelines to Capitol Hill
Paths from college to the Capitol for every DC-based congressional staffer. What schools produce the most staffers on Capitol Hill? Do certain colleges or universities have established pipelines to the… Read More
Memo: Staff recruitment, retention, compensation and benefits; and chair term limits
To: The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress From: Alan E. Wiseman, Co-Director, Center for Effective Lawmaking, Vanderbilt University; Craig Volden, Co-Director, Center for Effective Lawmaking, University of… Read More
Shared employees in the U.S. House: Who are they, and what do they do?
Members of the House are permitted to have 18 permanent employees and 4 additional employees–including interns, part-time employees, shared employees, temporary employees, and employees on leave without pay… Read More
Adding capacity to House member offices: Who, what, how?
Congressional reformers frequently urge the House of Representatives to expand its capacity by expanding its staff, which has consistently shrunk over the last three decades. Often reformers are… Read More
Congressional diversity and pay: The Speaker’s data vs. Legistorm’s
Last week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team released the results from its 2019 Compensation and Diversity Study of congressional staff. The study, administered by the House Chief Administrative… Read More
Which colleges and universities are tops in producing DC-based congressional staff?
Source: Casey Burgat, LegBranch.org As the above flight path illustration shows, congressional staffers come from colleges all over the country. Each line represents a college who has produced a congressional… Read More
APSA Task Force Memorandum: Congressional staffing diversity and retention
To: The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress From: Kathryn Pearson, Chair, University of Minnesota ; Casey Burgat, R Street Institute; Menna… Read More