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Lee Hamilton Comments on Congress

2013

The Invisible Lawmakers
How Politics Has Changed
Tired of Budget Shenanigans? Here’s an Answer
We’d Be Better Off If The Parties Were Still Relevant
Congress Falls Short on National Security
Where Our Money Goes
What’s Ahead in Congress This Year
A Debate We Can Never Resolve
Some Suggestions for Improving Congress
What the Fiscal Cliff Deal Tells Us About Congress

2012

One Thing We Can Agree On About Government
A Bipartisan Goal: Good Constituent Service
After the Elections, Attitude Will Be Key
The Vital Issue Congress Won’t Address
Washington Needs to Lead. Now.
Congress Has Only Itself to Blame for Growing White House Power
Congress Has Forgotten How to Oversee the Executive
We’ll Never Agree on the Role of Government...And That’s Fine
Shouldn’t We All Be Americans First?
This Campaign Should Be About Informing Voters
Why Congress’s Future Should Lie In The Past
It’s Time to Quell Excessive Partisanship
Reform Should Be On The Candidates’ Agenda
How Should the Winners Govern?
The Problem With Government Isn’t A Few Bad Apples
Is This Really The Best We Can Do?
Is Money a Problem in Politics? Depends on Where You Sit
At the Core of Our Democracy, A Fragile Voting System
In Defense of Politics
The Most Important Skill In Politics
It’s Not Just Congress: Citizens Also Have Room To Improve
The Problem With Too Many Debates
Congress and the Constitution’s 225th Anniversary
A More Rounded Way To Gauge Congress

2011

Let’s Add Civility And Civic Skills To Our Goals For The Year
Reducing Deficit Requires Skill and Risk From Politicians
Despite Everything, Our Strengths Outweigh Our Weaknesses
How To Fix Distrust In Government
The Enduring Tension Between Ideology and Pragmatism
How To Moderate The Power of Lobbyists
The Growing Power of Lobbyists
A Fix For Congress Must Run Deep
How To Listen To A Politician
Congress Doesn’t Like Making Hard Choices
Let’s Help Lawmakers With Their Impossible Task
Can We Make Representative Democracy Better?
The Budget Fight Is A Skirmish, Not The Real Battle
What It Takes To Be A Citizen
We Need To Embrace Compromise, Not Insult It
This Is No Way To Run A Government
Con el Congreso y los Tribunales, Lo Que Importa es Balance
With Congress And The Courts, What Matters Is Balance
Las raíces de la impopularidad del Congreso
The Roots of Congress’s Unpopularity
Why Politicians Overreach
Porque Políticos Se Pasan
Congress’s Ill-Timed Recess
Congress Needs To Build A Culture of Fairness
Porque El Congreso Es Menos Que La Suma De Sus Partes
Why Congress Is Less Than The Sum Of Its Parts
Don’t Let The Dialogue Of Democracy Be A Victim, Too
If You Want to Fix Our Politics, Start With the Voters

2010

Congress Keeps Ceding Power to the President
With Hard Work, We Can Ease Polarization
Why Polarization Hurts Us
Why We're So Polarized
We'll Never Settle On The Right Role For Government
Why So Much Money Gets Spent on Lobbying
As Congress Weakens, So Does Our Democracy
In Congress, Going Big Isn't Always The Answer
Legislation Is Just The Start
In Congress, There's Always A Next Time
Congressional Hearings Are Not About The Witness
It's Tough To Give Americans What They Want
There Is No Substitute For Robust Oversight
How To Strengthen Congress
You're Angry? Fine. But Channel It Constructively
Here's An Idea For Congress: Try Democracy
Results and Process Both Matter
The Best Way To Fix Government Dysfunction
Bipartisanship Requires Hard Work and Political Will
Polarization Will Not Disappear Quickly
What Makes A Good Politician?
¿Cuáles son las Características de un Buen Político?
Governing Is Grueling

2009

The Key to Good Politics? Good Communication
Lincoln's Question At Gettysburg Is Still Relevant
What It Looks Like When Congress Does Its Job
Whatever Their Tone, We Need Town Hall Meetings
It's Time To Govern The Flow Of Political Money
You, Too, Should Care About What's Happening to Journalism
Members of Congress Need To Travel
Congress Needs A Five-Day Work Week
The Sotomayor Hearings Were Hardly 'Oversight'
The Private Lives of Public Officials
Congress Needs to Embrace Transparency
Why Congress Needs Institutionalists
Is Fixing Congressional Procedure A Lost Cause?
What It Means To Be A Representative
What It Means To Be A Representative
In Congress, Change Is A Constant
Can Congress Cope With The Communications Age?
Even In An Economic Crisis, Follow The Money
Is Congress Up To The Task Before It?
Conference Committees Fade, Democracy Suffers
Effective Oversight Requires Effective Press
In Congress, First Impressions Matter
Good Communication Anchors Our Democracy

2008

Congress Needs Proper Leadership
Whoever Is President, An Administration Needs Oversight
The Decision To Go To War
Congress, Too, Can Set The Agenda
The Ten Commandments of Citizenship
Are the People Prepared?
Why Holding the Majority Matters
Why Ethics Should Matter to Congress
To Govern Well, Return to the Basics
A Disastrous Budget Process
How Do We Reduce Partisanship?
Build Consensus Even When It's Hard
The Political Skill We Need Most
Rebuilding Congress
How to Understand Congress
What We Owe Our Young People
You Need to Understand Lobbying
Congress Should Fix Its Budget Habits
Look For Candidates Who Respect The Congress
Young Must Learn How Democracy Works
Politicians Need To Find A Balance

2007

Congress Must Assert Itself
Why Politics Is So Partisan
Why Not Try Genuine Consultation?
The Path to Good Citizenship
Debate Is Good For Our System
This Is A Good Time To Talk To Politicians
Some Kind Words for Politicians
Why Isn't Congress More Efficient?
We Need Candidates With Good Judgment
Why Is Congress So Partisan?
A Good Office Can Breed Congressional Success
Shaping Policy is Hard Work
Our Future Depends on Improving the Public Dialogue
There's Still Much Room For Improvement In Congress
Citizenship is Hard Work
What Politics Should Be About
For Good or Ill, Congress Needs Time to Do Its Work System
Our Leaders Must Find A Balance on Iraq
Members of Congress Should Vote Their Consciences More Often
Why Things Get Complicated In Congress
In Congress, Courtesy Matters
To Reform Congress, Shine A Light On It
We Urgently Need to Fix Our Voting System

2006

Congressional Debates Need Facts, Not Spin
It's Now or Never for Ethics Reform
When The Voters Take Charge
Is Congress Truly Representative?
Spotlight On A Congress In Institutional Crisis
How To Run For Congress
Congressional Hearings Are Too Often About Spin
Facing Public's Many Pleas, Congress Must be Pragmatic
How to Talk to Your Member of Congress
Why You Need to Know What Congress is Doing
Compromise Keeps Our System Running
Congress Should Use Its Muscles
What Will It Take to Improve the Dialogue of Democracy?
Depressed About Our Country? Don't Be.
Had Enough Gimmickry? Demand Fiscal Truth
Wouldn't It Be Nice If Congress Showed Up For Work?
Why Does Congress Want to Give Up Power?
What It Means When You Take That Oath of Office
We Pay A High Price for Special-Interest Lobbying
Three Fixes for American Democracy
True Lobbying Reform
The Press is Good, But Not Good Enough
Is This The Congress We Want?

2005

We Can't Wait Much Longer To Fix Congress
More Want More from Congress
Who Lobbies for the Rest of Us?
It's Hard to Write Laws
Citizens Can Be Powerful Lobbyists, Too
Be Thankful the House and Senate are Different
Congressional Reform Difficult, but Urgently Needed
The Cup of Coffee Solution
We Must Reclaim Our Campaigns
Remember to Separate the Wheat from the Chaff in Congress
Whose Team Should a Member of Congress Be On?
It's Time For The Public To Fund Congressional Travel
Lobbying Murkiness Undermines Our Trust in Congress
We Urgently Need Redistricting Reform
Congress Confuses The Public And Itself
Congress Only Tinkers On The Budget
Why We Need to Restore Power to Congress
Congress Needs to Invigorate Its Ethics System, Not Weaken It

2004

Our Need for Reasoned Conversation
A Fresh Start for Congress?
Why Political Virtue Matters
Congress Depends on Civility
Broken Budget Process
Why Congress Must Learn To Look Ahead
Oversight At Last
It's Time For a Robust Ethics Process
Why Congress Needs to Assert Itself
Broken Oversight
Congress Shouldn't Just Be About Winning
States’ Rights? Depends on Where You Stand

2003

Why We Should Care About The Media
Why We Need An Informed Citizenry
The Merits of Civic Engagement
Has Direct Democracy Gone Too Far?
Congress Needs The Deliberative Process
Making a Difference
The Sovereignty of the American People
Is Congress Trustworthy?
Why We Need Compromise
Congressional Bickering
Why Federalism Works
Congress and Individual Liberties
Democracy Relies on Healthy Dialogue

2002

A Balanced View of Congress
The Importance of Good Process
The Cornerstones of Active Citizenship
The Money Chase
Keep In Touch
Tackling the Tough Issues
The Roots of Our Success
Congress and Your Daily Life
Is Congress out of Touch?
Congress and Lobbyists
Influential Members of Congress
Congress and the President
Power in Congress

2001

Why the President Needs the Help of Congress to Make Foreign Policy
Congress and the Power of the Purse
How Members Vote
Congress and the Common Good
The Job of a Congressman
Can the People Govern?
The Frustrations of Congress
Congress and the Pork Barrel
Balancing Powers in Government
Why Congress Exists
Making Your Views Known to Congress
The Impact of Congress
The Rewards of Public Service

2000

Noncompetitive Elections for Congress
Knitting Congress and the White House Together
Vote for Democracy
Making a Difference
Congressional Ethics is Not an Oxymoron
Congress Does More than Meets the Eye
Why Can't Congress Act?
Thinking About the Future
True Congressional Oversight
What Makes a Good Politician?
Retail Politics for the Rest of Us
How a Bill Really Becomes Law
Why Politicians Are Good for Your (Country's) Health

1999

Judging Congress by the Results
Learning to Be a Special Interest
Congress Must Battle to Bring Us Together
Congress and the Fabric of Our Lives
Congress' Self-Correcting Mechanism
Failure to Communicate

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