Congress is old. Does it matter?
By Matthew R. Haydon and James M. Curry Everyone knows elected members of Congress are generally older than most other Americans, but it may surprise some to hear just… Read More
In retirement, members of Congress truly find their voice
Image source NYMag By Michael K. Romano It seemed antithetical. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), a well-known conservative firebrand whose claim to fame in Congress had been chairing the House Select… Read More
Members of Congress may not look like their constituents, but they do look like their parties
Image source: Washington Post diversity map By Charlie Hunt Does the “People’s House” look like the people? This question has been addressed from many different perspectives and the answer is… Read More
Are some constituent communications more likely to receive high-level attention?
Image source: New Yorker By Matthew J. Geras and Michael H. Crespin In response to recent debates about the Affordable Care Act and tax reform, many constituents have been making… Read More
How women work harder to stay in Congress
Image source: Politico By Jeffrey Lazarus Almost ten years ago, my colleague Amy Steigerwalt and I were writing on congressional earmarks when we noticed an interesting trend: in the years… Read More
Connections are the currency of Washington lobbyists
Source: Spectrum News By Jennifer Nicoll Victor Lobbyists tend to be about as well regarded as used car salespeople. But are lobbyists really as corrupt as they are often portrayed?… Read More
A Congressional Staffer Makes a Case for the First Branch
Eric Harris, communications director for Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis), took to Sunday’s Washington Post “Outlook” page. He writes: “As a communications director for Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), answering… Read More
ICYMI: What Calling Congress Achieves
Illustration credit: Oliver Munday, New Yorker. Kathryn Schulz of the New Yorker writes: “Americans vote, if we vote at all, roughly once every two years. But even in a slow… Read More
Does Congress Finally Get That Business As Usual Should Not Continue?
By Kevin R. Kosar Nearly everyone is gobsmacked by last night’s election results. But should we really be so surprised? No, because a significant portion of the public has… Read More
Is the 114th Congress Getting Things Done?
Source: PopVox.com Yes, writes Marci Harris and her team at PopVox. “The 114th Congress has passed a significant number of major policies into law: from ending a Medicare physician payment… Read More