Hearings on the Hill: The Politics of Informing Congress

How do legislators, who are not policy experts, gather the information needed to make informed decisions? In a highly partisan environment, the flow of information in Congress is shaped by political competition, party leaders, and interest groups. Committees and hearings play a critical role in acquiring and disseminating this information, ultimately influencing the development of public policy in a democracy.

In this new book, Assistant Professor Pamela Ban of the University of California, San Diego, Assistant Professor Ju Yeon Park of The Ohio State University, and Associate Professor Hye Young You of Princeton University explore how partisan dynamics and institutional incentives influence the flow of information in Congress (Professors Park and You are also CEL Faculty Affiliates). They examine the role of committees and hearings as key mechanisms for legislators to acquire and disseminate policy-relevant information. Drawing on extensive data spanning decades, the authors analyze how political competition, party leadership, and interest groups shape the information legislators access and utilize, ultimately affecting policy decisions and governance in American democracy.

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