The Problem 

In recent decades, Congress has increasingly struggled to perform its basic functions of passing budgets, confirming officials, providing oversight, and authorizing the use of force. The executive has claimed these authorities, regardless of whether that is either constitutionally or operationally appropriate. There are multiple causes. Congress is both deeply divided (with fewer moderate members and little party overlap) and narrowly divided (with very slim majorities). Members see few incentives for the cross-party pragmatism necessary to collaborate effectively. The internal rules for how Congress operates and the external rules for how members are elected combine to produce gridlock. Recent trends have likely moved further in the direction of deep division, such as mid-cycle redistricting in California, Texas, and perhaps Virginia.

Explore and Engage  

This chronic problem will take considerable time to reform. Our goal over the next two years is to suggest pathways forward that promote a more representative and effective Congress, leading to a presidency capable of earning wider public trust. The public is clearly dissatisfied with Congress, but there is little consensus on what kind of Congress we want. How do we define “representative” and “effective”? What reforms might create this kind of Congress? 

We will explore current internal and external incentives. Our core faculty will examine when Congress worked well, when Congress contemplated or enacted reforms, when and why Congress rose above gridlock to act, and when and why past reform efforts failed. Our work in this area will be guided by our own Sidney Milkis and other scholars focused on Congress and the relationship between branches. Looking to the future, we will engage former members of Congress, former White House legislative affairs officials, and current members of Congress, especially those who have worked to modernize Congress. In planning our events and research, we will draw on scholars in our network to better understand and assess reform efforts by other organizations. We seek to learn about external reform proposals, such as nonpartisan primaries and ranked choice voting, and internal reforms such as earmarks and other incentives to collaborate across the aisle.

Where Can We Make a Difference?  

Reforming Congress is a decades-long undertaking with a wide range of interested organizations. That does not mean we should sit still. We will engage congressional leaders on these key areas and share with them specific examples of both function and dysfunction. We will convene experts to consider reform efforts in partnership with various reform initiatives, explore Congress across our history, and envision possible paths forward.