On Improving Elections, Americans Take a Pass
Is the thought of election reform reality or just a dream?
Comments on Congress
Our Democracy Needs Disagreement to Work Well
Acceptance of democratic rules and values and a bipartisan readiness to seek compromise are what create policies that last.
At the Ballot Box, It’s Not Just About Party, It’s Also About Skills
Often skills and temperament mean as much, if not more, than party and ideology.
We Need a Civil Service That Can Do Its Best Work
The outcome of the election could determine the fate of Civil Service in our country.
Congress Has a Lot to Accomplish In a Short Time. Don’t Expect Much.
Avoid a shutdown and get out is the short-term goal.
Maybe the Vitriol in Congress Isn’t as Bad as It Seems
New AI tool gives voters extra leverage to become better informed.
Voters are never an after-thought to a politician stumping for office.
Don’t Forget the Other Elections
Congressional and legislative races have very real consequences for the our country’s direction, so don’t forget they are as important as the presidential election.
Let’s Not Forget What’s Really Vital in a Representative Democracy
Good citizenship is as much about temperament as it is about ability.
An Unprecedented Election – And the Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher
This country remains what it has always been: a work in progress that is never done re-creating and redefining itself.
A Big (and Growing) Issue No One’s Addressing This Election Year
The national debt, often a lost topic on the campaign trail.
A Who’s Who of Partisanship and Non-Partisanship in Congress
Bipartisan legislation not only has longer staying power. It’s also something Americans like.
An Enduring Question for American Democracy
161 years later, the question still lingers...
Congress Just Accomplished Something. Can It Do It Again?
A vote for what’s fit verses party line is something we’ve haven’t seen in a while – can they do it again?
You’re Used to How Congress Does Budgets. You Shouldn’t Be
Regular order of the appropriations process is still far from being regular
Americans Have Plenty of Common Sense. Too Many Politicians Don’t Seem to Share It
Is it really “Americans” or just some American “Politicians” who are embracing extremism and anti-democratic conduct?
Governors look for a better way to disagree, because in the end we might not be all that far apart.
Wave of Retirements Should Serve as a Warning for Congress
Voters were fine with tough debate over the merits of the issues; what they didn’t want was gridlock.
Sure, Congress Needs to Represent Us. But It Also Needs to Act
I believe strongly in representative democracy. I think it’s one of the great ideas developed by humankind and given form, in part, by the US. But the more I watch it in action, the more I’m impressed by how difficult it is to make it work.
You May Be Tempted to Tune Politics Out, But Here’s Why You Shouldn’t
Our system depends on the willingness of ordinary Americans to get involved, whether it’s tackling a problem up the street or in the state capital or in Washington.
Congress Tests Its Own Willingness to Get Things Done
We make progress when political leaders who are willing to search for common ground find people they can work with and carve out room to maneuver.
Congress Returns to a Full Plate… and Huge Uncertainty
The conventional wisdom holds that very little can get done on Capitol Hill during election years like this one, as legislators stake out positions aimed at garnering votes, rather than racking up legislative accomplishments.
By Waiting and *Not* Waiting on Santos Expulsion, the House Set a Model
When the bipartisan report was finally published, it left no room for doubt that committee members—the members of Congress most familiar with Santos’s dealings—believed he should be kicked out of office.
Will Congress Ever Stop Flirting With Government Shutdowns?
All I can say is, I fervently hope Congress gets back on track with the appropriations process, because believe me, this is a terrible way to run a government.
What Kind of Democracy Are We When Politicians Have to Fear Violence?
Our entire system is built on the idea that, however passionate political disagreement might become, we give the people we elect to public office the ability to sort things out.
Why Does the House Speaker Matter, Anyway?
The Speaker sets its agenda, establishes its work and voting calendar, controls committee assignments, decides which bills will get voted on and then oversees the votes themselves, determines how debate will unfold on the floor, and appoints the staffers who are key to the House’s functioning, like the parliamentarian.
It’s Time for Congress to Measure Up to the Country’s Expectations
While I have some sympathy with those GOP members of the Freedom Caucus who want to restore the power of committees in the House, I also believe the speaker needs to be a strong presence.
Why Does Even Popular Legislation Get Hung Up in Congress?
When both Congress and the nation are polarized and Congress itself is closely divided along partisan lines, everything becomes more difficult.
Beyond the Politics, a Message to Notice From No Labels
Many Americans are tired of the intense partisanship they see at the national and state levels. And for some voters, the policies the group is promoting seem to strike an attractive ideological balance.
For Effective Congressional Oversight, Ask the Right Questions
Congress’s job is to look into every nook and cranny of the executive branch, pay attention to what’s being done in the people’s name, weigh whether it’s the right course, and, if necessary, legislate improvements.
It’s Not Just a Buzzword: Why Civility Matters in Congress
Our founders did not count on all Americans becoming friends, but they did believe that we could be respectful and civil toward one another, and that by doing so, we could wrestle with and resolve the challenges facing our country.
The System Works – But It Also Needs Attention
Through world wars, the Civil War, economic recessions, depressions, and enormous challenges, America has not just survived, but improved.
A Case Study in How the House of Representatives Damages Itself
The Ethics Committee and its bipartisan processes exist for a reason: The institution of the House is stronger and more resilient when destructive partisan passions are constrained by procedure.
The House GOP Caucus Revolt Isn’t All Bad
The House—unlike any other institution in Washington—was designed by the architects of our republic to be the people’s body, the most representative of our nation’s diverse and ever-changing population.
In the Constitution, Congress Comes First. In Real Life, Not So Much.
More than any other branch of government, Congress reflects the feelings of the diverse and ever-evolving population of the United States—even if, with population shifts boosting rural power in the Senate these days and gerrymandering affecting House districts, the proportions are out of whack.
This is How Divided Government Should Work
Anyone who’s spent time in the nation’s capital during this long era of mostly divided government knows that with power so distributed, there is no single path to success in trying to make the Congress work.
Do We Really Need to Go Through This?
There’s a lot of misperception about why the debt needs to keep being raised, but it’s pretty simple: Most years, we spend more than we take in.
The Dialogue of Democracy Needs Tending
If Americans lose faith that our democracy is up to the task of addressing our challenges because we’re incapable of holding a discussion that isn’t distorted by spin, misleading studies, grassroots manipulation, untrustworthy media, and political leaders who wouldn’t publicly recognize a fact if it smacked them in the forehead, then the travails of the last few years will seem like a cakewalk.
One of Congress’s Most Important Jobs Has Gotten Much Harder
The issues Congress deals with are often complicated and full of nuance, but even on some of the most basic facts, there’s widespread misunderstanding.
Balance the Federal Budget? Sure, But It’s Tougher Than You Think
My point here is not to say that a balanced budget, or even significant steps to cut the deficit, is impossible.
Why Trustworthiness Matters in Our Democracy
Intriguingly, it’s that changeability—in how legislation evolves, politics unfolds, and politicians think—that makes trustworthiness so important.
Our System Can’t Work Without Compromise
The drafting of what became our Constitution was one long exercise in finding common ground and striking compromises.
Being a Good Citizen is a Lot Harder Than It Used to Be
The challenge we face is that our system won’t work unless citizens participate in a constructive fashion.
Why You Should Want Your Representative to Learn Things
I can tell you from personal experience that in the process of talking to colleagues, the media, experts, party leaders, lobbyists, and the broad range of ordinary Americans you get exposed to when in office, your views get refined; unless you’re closed-minded, you come to see issues from different perspectives.
The House speakership fight was not a good omen for this Congress
After two years in which Congress was able to make bipartisan strides on a few issues, that kind of progress is now less likely.
Legislators are confronted with twin tasks: discerning and then pursuing the common good, and finding enough common ground with colleagues and the public at large to make progress possible.
For a legislator who is truly trying to do her or his best for the country, the state, or the community, deciding how to vote requires hard work.
I believe wholeheartedly that the great mission of Congress is not to pass a budget or to enact legislation, as important as those things might be. Instead, its purpose is to help maintain freedom in this country.
Elections are our chance to weigh in and set priorities, even if what ultimately happens over the next two years will be the result of the dynamics on Capitol Hill and at the White House.
After the Election Comes Reality
On the whole, it often feels as though the maneuvering for political advantage in Congress and many legislatures has grown more aggressive than it used to be, both in terms of hardball partisan tactics and members’ own elbow-throwing efforts to garner attention.