Congress – Center for Effective Lawmaking

Legislative Effectiveness Scores / Legislative Research

Highlights from the New 118th Congress Legislative Effectiveness Scores

Highlights from the New 118th Congress Legislative Effectiveness Scores Tuesday, March 25, 2025The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is pleased to announce the release of the Legislative Effectiveness Scores (LES) for the recently completed 118th Congress (2023-25). This report, written by Co-Directors Craig Volden (of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia) and Alan Wiseman (of the Department of Political Science at Vanderbilt University), offers highlights from our initial analyses of these scores, including:We list the top-10 lawmakers in each party in the House…

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March 25, 2025

Understanding the Policy Priorities of Republican Women in the US House of Representatives

Understanding the Policy Priorities of Republican Women in the US House of Representatives Wednesday, March 19, 2025In this published paper in Politics & Gender, Professor Michele Swers of Georgetown University and Associate Professor (and CEL Faculty Affiliate) Danielle Thomsen of the University of California, Irvine take a deep dive into the sponsorship and cosponsorship activity of Republicans in the US House of Representatives from 1993–2014 to examine how ideology and gender influence the policy priorities of Republican legislators on issues associated with women, as well as on the party-owned issue…

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March 19, 2025

Blog / Center Affiliates / Faculty Affiliates / Legislative Anaylsis

Niskanen Center: Congress at a Crossroads

Niskanen Center: Congress at a Crossroads Monday, March 10The 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…

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March 10, 2025

Events / Legislative Anaylsis

CEL Presentation to Charlottesville NOW

CEL Presentation to Charlottesville NOW Thursday, February 6, 2025 On Tuesday, February 4, Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) Co-Director and UVA Frank Batten School Professor Craig Volden gave a presentation to the Charlottesville chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). The organization engages in the fight for women's rights, and works with its members and partners with other organizations to push for social change. Professor Volden's presentation, entitled “The Keys to Effective Lawmaking in Congress and the Virginia General Assembly,” explained the mission of the CEL, the construction of our Legislative…

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February 6, 2025

Center Affiliates / Faculty Affiliates / Legislative Anaylsis

Hearings on the Hill: The Politics of Informing Congress

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…

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February 4, 2025

Center Affiliates / Faculty Affiliates / Legislative Anaylsis / Legislative Research

Credit Claiming and Accountability for Legislative Effectiveness

Credit Claiming and Accountability for Legislative Effectiveness Wednesday, January 29, 2025 In this Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) working paper, Associate Professor Elizabeth Simas of Texas A&M University, Assistant Professor Michael Kistner of the University of Houston (and CEL Faculty Affiliate), Instructor of International Affairs David Hilden of West Point Military Academy, and Jamie Wright, Senior Survey Scientist at Morning Consult, examine why effective legislators struggle to convey their legislative accomplishments through credit claiming. Despite survey research showing that voters value legislative effectiveness, constituents often lack awareness of their legislator's…

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January 29, 2025

Center Affiliates / Faculty Affiliates / Legislative Anaylsis / Legislative Research

How Modern Lawmakers Advertise Their Legislative Effectiveness to Constituents

How Modern Lawmakers Advertise Their Legislative Effectiveness to Constituents Tuesday, January 28, 2025 In order to be re-elected, lawmakers must inform their constituents on what their intentions are in Congress. Effective representation in Congress goes beyond the traditional metrics of lawmaking. It encompasses a broader range of activities, including advocacy and direct engagement with constituents. Understanding how legislators communicate their multifaceted roles is essential to evaluating their strategies for maintaining public support and securing reelection. But how are lawmakers supposed to showcase their legislative effectiveness to the general public? What…

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January 28, 2025

Legislative Anaylsis

Five Lessons for Lawmakers from Trump I

Five Lessons for Lawmakers from Trump I Center for Effective Lawmaking Co-Directors Craig Volden and Alan Wiseman have published a commentary for the Niskanen Center that examines what lawmakers can expect with the new Trump administration and unified Republican control of government based on the lessons learned from the previous Trump term. This includes:both Republican and Democratic ideas will become law;members of each party can take the lead on their priority issues;the prioritization of lawmaking by Thune and Johnson offers new opportunities;congressional lawmaking is increasingly behind-the-scenes and via omnibus legislation;…

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January 23, 2025

Center Affiliates / Faculty Affiliates / Legislative Anaylsis

Interpersonal Relationships, Bipartisanship, and January 6th

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…

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January 21, 2025

Legislative Anaylsis / Legislative Research

Deployed to the Hill: Military Experience and Legislative Behavior in Congress

Deployed to the Hill: Military Experience and Legislative Behavior in Congress Military service is often touted as an important benefit for legislating in Congress. With fewer military veterans serving in Congress, candidates with military experience, along with their supporters, argue that electing more veterans could help reduce dysfunction and gridlock. They claim that military values, such as duty and teamwork, translate into differences in legislative behavior. But are veteran lawmakers more effective than those without military experience? Are they more bipartisan?In this paper published in Political Research Quarterly and based on a…

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December 16, 2024