Why Has Congress Become More Chaotic?
Source: Kevin R. Kosar Jonathan Rauch‘s “How American Politics Went Insane” has drawn much commentary. Rauch argues that Congress is struggling to organize itself, and that a major cause… Read More
Jonathan Rauch On Congress and Chaos
The Brookings Institution’s Jonathan Rauch has an article garnering much attention: “How American Politics Went Insane” (The Atlantic, July/August 2016). He writes: “Chaos syndrome is a chronic decline in the… Read More
Will Some House Democrats Face Ethics Reviews?
Source: The Atlantic . USA Today reports: “An independent watchdog group is filing an ethics complaint against several House Democrats for violating House rules last week during lawmakers’ 25-hour sit-in… Read More
House Pay Increase Will Amount to Less Than $1,000 Per Staffer
RollCall.com reports: “House lawmakers are intent on giving staff members a raise in 2017, concerned that low pay and long hours are contributing to an unprecedented congressional brain drain. Read More
Notes from the June 20, 2016 Meeting on the Topic of Congressional Staff
More than 50 persons attended the meeting in the Capitol Visitors Center. The meeting’s topic was congressional staff, and Daniel Schuman of DemandProgress presented data that showed reductions in… Read More
Majority Leader McConnell: How the Senate Is Supposed to Work
U.S. Senate 1880s. Source: U.S. Senate Historical Office Majority leader McConnell wrote for the May 30, 2016 copy of the Wall Street Journal a piece titled, “How the Senate Is… Read More
How Many House and Senate Leadership Staff Are There?
House Leadership Staff, 1987-2014 Graphic by the R Street Institute based upon Congressional Research Service data. Senate Leadership Staff, 1987-2014 Graphic by the R Street Institute based upon Congressional… Read More
How Many House and Senate Committee Staff Are There?
House Committee Staff Levels, 1987-2014 Graphic by the R Street Institute based upon Congressional Research Service data. Senate Committee Staff Levels, 1987-2014 Graphic by the R Street Institute based… Read More
How Many Congressional Personal Staff Work in DC Versus Districts and States?
House members and Senators have personal staff who may be assigned to work in DC or back in their home districts and states. The below charts break-out data on these… Read More
How Many Congressional Staff Are There?
Graphic by the R Street Institute based upon Congressional Research Service data. Data excludes officers and officials of the chambers (e.g., chaplains). Congressional Staff, 1987-2014 This blog post and the… Read More