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How the Senate keeps track of its precedents
An intricate architecture of rules and practices governs the legislative process in the Senate. The institution’s procedural structure rests on five interlocking supports: the Constitution; the Standing Rules of the… Read More
ICYMI: Top reads on Congress
Katherine Tully-McManus, “IG Report: Some members of Congress sexually harassed night-shift custodians,” Roll Call: “Members of Congress allegedly sexually harassed night shift custodial staff while they cleaned their offices. Read More
How centralized or decentralized should power be in the House of Representatives?
To: The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress From: James M. Curry, University of Utah Reform: How centralized or decentralized should… Read More
Create a Professional Advisory Council for committees, remove cameras from hearings (at least some of them), reform committee jurisdictions
To: The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress From: Maya Kornberg, Ph.D. candidate, Oxford University Reform: Create a Professional Advisory Council… Read More
Potential non-salary staffing reforms
To: The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress From: Casey Burgat, Senior Fellow, R Street Institute Reform: Potential non-salary staffing reforms… Read More
Automatic CRs treat the symptom, not the disease
To: The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress From: Sarah Binder, Brookings Institution and George Washington University Reform: Automatic CRs treat… Read More
ICYMI: Top reads on Congress
Eliza Collins, “How Nancy Pelosi is leading divided Democrats through political turmoil, Trump’s administration,” USA Today: “The only woman to become speaker of the House – not once, but twice –… Read More
Options for increasing congressional capacity on complex regulatory matters
To: The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress From: Philip Wallach, R Street Institute Reform: Options for Increasing Congressional Capacity on… Read More
Make Congress (properly) political again
Chris DeMuth’s new essay powerfully and convincingly argues that well-functioning representative government is a necessary condition for national cohesion in our democratic age. DeMuth is not starry-eyed about legislatures, or… Read More
The value of seniority in today’s House of Representatives
During the “Textbook Congress” era from roughly the late-1940s to the early-1970s, seniority was tremendously valuable to members of Congress, particularly in the House. Since World War II, data demonstrate… Read More