Interpersonal Relationships, Bipartisanship, and January 6th

Collaboration among colleagues is a cornerstone of effective lawmaking in Congress. Building and maintaining strong interpersonal relationships between legislators is especially important for fostering bipartisan cooperation. However, in the aftermath of the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, many Democratic lawmakers expressed reluctance to work with Republican colleagues who opposed certifying the 2020 presidential election results, claiming these actions had irreparably damaged their working relationships. Have these damaged relationships impacted overall legislative effectiveness in Congress?

In this forthcoming published paper in the American Political Science Review, Professor James Curry of the University of Utah and Professor (and Center for Effective Lawmaking Faculty Affiliate) Jason Roberts of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examine January 6th’s impact on legislative collaboration and effectiveness in Congress. Using data from the 115th to 117th Congresses (2017–2022), the pair’s research focuses on the lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results. Professors Curry and Roberts explore how these votes affected bipartisan relationships, original cosponsorship patterns, and legislative effectiveness. Their findings reveal that Republican members who opposed certification experienced a significant decline in bipartisan collaboration, leading to a measurable drop in their ability to advance legislation. The study underscores the long-term implications of political and interpersonal divides on the functioning of Congress.

To learn more, read the full online version of the report here.

Photo: “US Capitol January 6th 2021 during the riot” by Kurt Kaiser is marked with CC0 1.0.