Talking About Politics: “Congress: As Bad As It Looks?”
Congress is widely disliked, with about 70% of the population holding an unfavorable view, according to a recent Pew study. Voters, presidents, and even many members of Congress criticize the institution for its hyperpolarization, inefficiency, and lack of substantive lawmaking. And yet, in the upcoming election, the vast majority of members will be reelected to Congress. Political science professor Tristan Hightower helps us examine these topics through the recent discussion in the Talking About Politics series which was held on Friday October 4, 2024.
View the recording here: https://bryant.zoom.us/rec/share/FBx7AqLYHLsrCr88U5Jq3bhb4UuNpzALwrxJYRkBvxQzjJ9Hkq9jhC8OdZKPRkTH.Kz0t32raSnO1yZsy?startTime=1728055995000
Passcode: 2z9SR=k?
All About Congress
https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/explore/about-congress
United States House of Representatives https://www.house.gov/
House Leadership: https://www.house.gov/leadership
United States Senate https://www.senate.gov/
Senate Leadership: https://www.senate.gov/senators/leadership.htm
Library of Congress https://www.congress.gov/
Branches of US Government https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government
Congressional Staffers
Average Age of Senate Staffers https://www.statista.com/statistics/1454883/senator-staffers-age-us/
Average Age House Staffers: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1454870/house-representatives-staffers-age-us/
Senate Staff Salary: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44324
House Staff Salary: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44324
Legislation
GovTrack Bill Tracker
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/
Legislation Passage Statistics
Gov Track: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/statistics
Roll Call Vote: https://voteview.com/
Congressional Productivity
https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-CONGRESS/PRODUCTIVITY/egpbabmkwvq/
American’s View of Congress
Pew Research Center
https://www.pewresearch.org/2024/09/13/how-us-public-opinion-has-changed-in-20-years-of-our-surveys/
Gallup Poll
https://news.gallup.com/poll/1600/congress-public.aspx
Pew Research Center How Americans view Congress, the president, state and local political leaders
Polarization Research Lab
https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/
Pew Research Center The polarization in today’s Congress has roots that go back decades
Trust in Congress
Statista
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?
https://www.statista.com/statistics/207579/public-approval-rating-of-the-us-congress/
Term Limits
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt22-1/ALDE_00001008/
Re-election rates
About Filibusters and Cloture- US Senate
Filibuster
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/filibuster-explained
Social Media Influence on Congress
US Senate Judiciary Hearing: Algorithms and Amplification: How Social Media Platforms’ Design Choices Shape Our Discourse and Our Minds
Voter Turnout
https://www.census.gov/topics/public-sector/voting.html
https://www.electproject.org/national-1789-present
Midterm Elections: https://www.statista.com/statistics/917353/us-midterm-elections-voter-turnout/
Voter Turnout by Age: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/voter-turnout-rate-by-age-usa
Congressional Delegation Trips https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/05/congressional-delegation-history-00043905
Books
The Limits of Party: Congress and Lawmaking in a Polarized Era by James M. Curry and Frances E. Lee
https://bryant.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1141979821
Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know by Nolan McCarty
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/polarization-9780190867775?lang=en&cc=us
Home Field Advantage: Roots, Reelection, and Representation in the Modern Congress by Charles R Hunt
https://press.umich.edu/Books/H/Home-Field-Advantage
Divided We Govern by David Mayhew
https://www.amazon.com/Divided-Govern-Lawmaking-Investigations-1946-2002/dp/0300102887
Bryant Votes
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Why Voting Matters: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/does-my-vote-really-matter/