Niskanen Center: Congress at a Crossroads
Monday, March 10
The Niskanen Center has released a series of essays for their March issue of Hypertext about the culture of the legislative body and political changes being advanced by the Trump administration, all of which pose important discussions related to effective lawmaking. As stated by David Dagan, Niskanen’s Director of Editorial and Academic Affairs:
“Congress faces this moment rife with contradictions. It is outwardly deeply partisan, but below the surface, still capable of a great deal of bipartisan legislation. Authority is highly centralized with party leaders, but new ideological formations and tight margins are making that power look brittle. Congress’ constitutional purpose is to check presidential power, but its partisan logic is to do so selectively. These are tensions born of an age in which the parties are highly polarized but ideologies are in flux.”
He goes on to say that to imagine how Congress can navigate this turning point in the constitutional order, people must understand those internal tensions and how the first branch has navigated them so far. The essays include the following:
- Five Lessons for Lawmakers from Trump I – Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) Co-Directors Craig Volden and Alan Wiseman’s previously published essay about how bipartisanship is still possible in Congress based on how Members performed during the first Trump administration and the opportunities that can be pursued by both parties.
- We Need to Change How We Evaluate Our Lawmakers – Professor James Curry of the University of Utah discusses the rise of omnibus legislation and how it requires a rethinking in what makes a legislator effective.
- Why Trump II Legislating Could Look Different – Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution (and CEL Faculty Affiliate) warns that the system of bipartisan omnibus legislating may be in jeopardy due to conflicts between the executive and legislative branches over the congressional appropriations process.
How Oversight Got Overlooked – Professor Matt Grossmann of Michigan State University argues that polarization and empowered congressional leadership has weakened committees in their abilities and motivation to perform oversight duties, as well as the separation of powers system overall.
To view these essays, go here.
Photo: “President Trump Arrives on Capitol Hill” by The White House is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.
