Center Blog

Lee H. Hamilton, the director of the Center on Congress, was U.S. Representative from Indiana’s Ninth District from 1965 to 1999.

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March 5, 2014

Where Congress Falls Short...And Where It Doesn’t

At a public gathering the other day, someone asked me how I’d sum up my views on Congress. It was a good question, because it forced me to step back from worrying about the current politics of Capitol Hill and take a longer view.

February 19, 2014

There’s an Alternative to the Imperial Presidency

The march toward presidential unilateralism, whether the president is a Democrat or a Republican, dangerously undercuts our constitutional system.

February 4, 2014

Balancing Liberty and Security Is A Never-Ending Challenge

The challenge for Congress and the courts is to put in place a rigorous and sustained oversight system to prevent abuse of the capabilities the NSA has been given.

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February 28, 2014

Applications Are Welcome Through April 1 For 2014 American Civic Education Teacher Awards

April 1 is the application deadline for teachers who wish to be considered for the 2014 American Civic Education Teacher Awards (ACETA).

The awards are given annually to elementary and secondary teachers of civics, government and related fields who have demonstrated exceptional expertise, dynamism and creativity in motivating students to learn about Congress, the Constitution, and public policy...

February 17, 2014

Findings of Survey Slap Congress and Public for Failing to Do Their Duty

The public takes a very dim view of how Congress performs its duties, and also has a negative outlook on citizens’ contributions to the legislative process, according to a newly released opinion survey.

The survey, conducted in late 2013 for the Center on Congress, found 88 percent disapproving of the way Congress is handling its job. In a similar survey conducted for the Center a year earlier,...

February 3, 2014

Experts Surveyed on Congress’s Performance Give The Institution a “C-minus” for 2013

A group of academic experts asked to assess Congress’s performance concludes that it is subpar, a C-minus, and that prospects are not good for it to get better anytime soon.

“The experts deliver a rather pessimistic assessment of Congress’s ability to function as a major policymaking institution in our American representative democracy,” said Indiana University political scientist Edward G....

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