Blog – Center for Effective Lawmaking

A Conversation with Senator Bill Frist: The Keys to Effective Lawmaking in Turbulent Times

A Conversation with Senator Bill Frist: The Keys to Effective Lawmaking in Turbulent Times On December 7, 2021, the Center for Effective Lawmaking partnered with Vanderbilt University's Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy to host a conversation with former Senate majority leader Bill Frist. A panel of experts tackled the issue of effective lawmaking in today's landscape during a virtual discussion entitled, “The Keys to Effective Lawmaking in Turbulent Times." In today’s polarized U.S. Congress, the lack of bipartisanship often prevents opportunities to enact meaningful legislation. What can lawmakers…

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December 20, 2021

Conference / Legislative Research

CEL’s Inaugural Award for Best Publication

CEL Award: Best Publication on Effective Lawmaking This year, in coordination with our Third Annual Research Conference, the Center for Effective Lawmaking was pleased to announce the inaugural award for Best Publication on Effective Lawmaking. The award was presented to Marco Battaglini, Valerio Leone Sciabolazza, and Eleonora Patacchini for their 2020 publication in the American Journal of Political Science, entitled “Effectiveness of Connected Legislators.” The work applies a network analysis to the study of effective lawmaking in the U.S. Congress. It demonstrates that those who are more centrally located in social…

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December 15, 2021

Inside the 3rd Annual Research Conference at the Center for Effective Lawmaking

Center for Effective Lawmaking Conference opens with remarks from Dept. of Political Sciences, Chair, Alan Wiseman in Alumni Hall.

Conference / Legislative Research

Inside the 3rd Annual Research Conference at the Center for Effective Lawmaking

Inside the 3rd Annual Research Conference at the Center for Effective Lawmaking The Center for Effective Lawmaking hosted its Third Annual Research Conference in early November 2021 at Vanderbilt University. After the pandemic forced the conference originally scheduled in June to be postponed due to safety considerations, there was a lot of energy and excitement. A group of scholars came together on the beautiful campus in downtown Nashville, TN to discuss research surrounding effective lawmaking, The conference featured five presentations of work with titles such as “The Primary Path for…

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December 7, 2021

Legislative Effectiveness Scores / Policy Scores

International Affairs Policy Legislative Effectiveness Scores: Highlights from the 116th Congress

International Affairs Policy Legislative Effectiveness Scores: Highlights from the 116th Congress With the U.S pullout from Afghanistan, continued troubled relations with China, and the ongoing global pandemic, international affairs policies are among the most challenging before Congress today. At the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL), we believe that difficult issues demand the attention of effective lawmakers.In March, we released our Legislative Effectiveness Scores (LES), highlighting the most effective lawmakers in the recently-completed 116th Congress (2019-2021). In addition to such overall scores, the Center also constructs Interest and Legislative Effectiveness Scores…

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November 16, 2021

About the CEL

Center for Effective Lawmaking 2020-2021 Annual Report

Center for Effective Lawmaking 2020-2021 Annual Report Welcome to this year's Center for Effective Lawmaking Annual Report.Like our past annual reports, this overview represents our means of spreading the word about the accomplishments, broad goals, and future plans for the Center. During a year when so many people around the world felt distant from one another, we could not be more thankful for the close community of those who continue to work with us to advance the Center’s work. In our newest annual report you can:Read testimonials from our research assistants, post-doctoral…

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November 12, 2021

Legislative Research

2021-2022 Small Grant Awards Announced

2021-2022 Small Grant Awards Announced It is with honor and excitement that we announce our 4th annual small grant awards and recipients. The body of academic research produced by previous cohorts of CEL grant recipients has been not only impressive but also critical to the field. We know that this year’s group of awardees will deliver the same high caliber scholarly work. The CEL’s funding and support for research grants is consistent with its commitment to advancing the generation, communication, and use of new knowledge about the effectiveness of individual…

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October 19, 2021

Events / Legislative Research

Capitol Conversations: Hoos on the Hill and the Life of a Staffer

Capitol Conversations: Hoos on the Hill and the Life of a Staffer At the Center for Effective Lawmaking we know that experienced legislative staff contribute to effective lawmaking. But who, exactly, are the people making the legislative agenda move? What is the daily life of a Hill staffer when it comes to policy?In a conversation moderated by Center for Effective Lawmaking Co-Director Professor Craig Volden, three Batten alums who currently work in Congress share their thoughts and stories. These three staffers explain what their jobs look like and how their…

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October 18, 2021

Conversations with Lawmakers

Representative Barney Frank & Journalist Robert Kaiser Discuss Legislative Effectiveness

Representative Barney Frank and Journalist Robert Kaiser Discuss Legislative Effectiveness For the next in our “Conversations with Effective Lawmakers” Series, we reach back into the vault of interviews conducted by the Center for Effective Lawmaking. In this case, we present an interview conducted by CEL Co-Directors Alan Wiseman and Craig Volden in spring of 2019.We had the pleasure of sitting down for a wide-ranging conversation with former member of Congress, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), and with Washington Post reporter and award-winning author Robert Kaiser. Kaiser’s book Act of Congress focuses…

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September 29, 2021

About the CEL

Introducing our CEL Summer Intern 2021

Introducing our 2021 Summer Intern We are excited once again this year to offer a summer internship program at the Center for Effective Lawmaking.Shanthi Ashok is a rising junior at Oakton High School in Fairfax, Virginia. She is the Founder and President of her school’s People of Color (POC) Coalition, a Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Student Equity Ambassador Leader, and Co-Founder and Co-President of Prep Leaders, an after-school tutoring, leadership, and career readiness program for FCPS elementary and middle schoolers (aiming to bridge academic income-based achievement gaps). Shanthi’s notable…

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July 20, 2021

Legislative Effectiveness Scores / Legislative Research / Policy Scores

Health Policy Legislative Effectiveness Scores: Highlights from the 116th Congress

Health Policy Legislative Effectiveness Scores: Highlights from the 116th Congress Which lawmakers are best able to move health policy changes through Congress, and why? In March, the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) released our Legislative Effectiveness Scores (LES) for the recently completed 116th Congress (2019-21). We also scored members of the House and Senate based on their interest in and effectiveness at lawmaking within twenty-one different policy areas, ranging from Agriculture to Immigration to Transportation. In addition to a historical consideration of the data (our scores extend back to 1973),…

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June 29, 2021

University of Virginia+Vanderbilt University

University of Virginia
+
Vanderbilt University