Podcast: How the House Committee on Administration is trying to help get the chamber back to work safely

August 1, 2020
Source: RodneyDavis.House.gov Listen here House Committee on Administration Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R, IL) recently spoke with Tom Temin of Federal News Network in mid-July. The… Read More

ICYMI: Direct election and the foreign policy president

July 26, 2020
Illustration by J.S. Pugh, 1903. Illustration shows seven men as Roman senators labeled “T.C. Tillman, Lodge, Stewart, Morgan, Quay, [and] Hoar.” George F. Hoar is speaking to the others while… Read More

The Room Where It Happened

July 22, 2020
Before I read it, I wondered about the title of this book by John Bolton. The “room” is most likely the Oval Office, although important meetings were held elsewhere,… Read More

Crisis government: Where is Congress?

July 16, 2020
Source: AFP via GlobePost.com. Congress has shown little ability to successfully keep up existing domestic programs in light of new developments and an aging population — let alone confidently chart new… Read More

Podcast: What values are essential in a successful democracy?

June 29, 2020
Listen here. In this special bonus episode of Politics In Question, Julia Azari, Lee Drutman, and James Wallner discuss the values that make democracies successful. What exactly are… Read More

Podcast: How do democratic self-governments respond to extremism?

June 18, 2020
Listen here. In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Mike Signer joins Julia Azari, Lee Drutman, and James Wallner to consider how democratic self-governments respond to extremism… Read More

Congress Overwhelmed: The Decline in Congressional Capacity and Prospects for Reform

June 17, 2020
Edited by Timothy M. LaPira, Lee Drutman, and Kevin R. Kosar Congress today is falling short. Fewer bills, worse oversight, and more dysfunction. But why? In a new volume of… Read More

ICYMI: House adopts resolution on proxy voting

May 21, 2020
According to the First Branch Forecast: The House enacted an historic resolution (H. Res. 965) that provides for proxy voting on the House floor… Read More

Podcast: Does incivility weaken or strengthen democracy?

May 20, 2020
Listen here. Emily Sydnor joins Julia Azari, Lee Drutman, and James Wallner to consider how people react to incivility in the media and the role it plays in… Read More

What are we talking about? A primer on remote deliberations terms

May 18, 2020
Congress is beginning to innovate around how it deliberates in committees and on the floor. These changes are driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made in-person meetings unsafe and… Read More