What is “regular order” worth?

April 4, 2018
Image source: Washington Times By James M. Curry and Frances E. Lee Last month, Congress passed its latest omnibus spending deal, and it did so using legislative processes that… Read More

Congress is old. Does it matter?

March 7, 2018
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

Congress May Be More Bipartisan Than You Think

August 8, 2017
At the Library of Congress’s Congress and History conference, political scientists James Curry and Frances Lee presented their working paper “Non-Party Government: Bipartisan Lawmaking and Theories… Read More

Is Too Much Transparency Crippling Congressional Deal-Making?

November 27, 2016
The U.S. Congress: Too much or too little transparency? by Rob Oldham President-elect Donald Trump prides himself on being a deal-maker and has said that he hopes to… Read More

Is the House of Representatives Legislating In the Dark?

September 26, 2016
In this short audio interview, Professor James Curry (University of Utah) explains how limited resources have enabled party leaders to write and negotiate most laws in Congress. Lacking… Read More

To Be Effective Legislators, Members of Congress Need Expert Resources of Their Own

May 19, 2016
Professor James Curry (University of Utah) is the author of Legislating in the Dark: Information and Power in the House of Representatives (University of Chicago Press, 2015). He writes: “Public… Read More