Overview

The Center on Congress at Indiana University produces a series of commentaries by Director Lee Hamilton. In these commentaries, Hamilton draws on his 34 years of experience as a United States Representative from the Ninth District, Indiana, and explains the important function of Congress in our system of representative democracy. The commentaries listed below specifically describe how the legislative branch of government makes policy decisions. In these commentaries, Hamilton discusses topics such as the role of compromise and the significance of diversity in the legislative process.

We Urgently Need Redistricting Reform observes that House incumbents are benefiting from sophisticated computer technology that enables mapmakers to draw districts strongly favoring one party or the other, practically eliminating competitive elections in most constituencies. As a result, Hamilton warns, Congress is coming to be dominated by ideologically rigid, intensely partisan members who are not reflective of the many Americans who regard themselves as political centrists.

Our Need for Reasoned Conversation describes the importance of dialogue in our representative democracy. Hamilton laments that too often these days, opposing groups demonize and attack each other, not engaging in a true discussion whose purpose is to resolve conflict and reach compromise. Differences of opinion are inevitable, he says, but reasoned discourse must be a bedrock value of American politics.

A Fresh Start for Congress explains that with each new Congress, members have an opportunity to fulfill the Founders’ goal that the legislative process be the primary venue in the federal government where the people’s diverse opinions are given a fair hearing, and policies are enacted in a manner that all involved consider legitimate. According to Hamilton, the historic mission of Congress is not to pass a particular piece of legislation (as important as that may be), but to preserve representative democracy itself.

Why Political Virtue Matters explains that our Republic functions best when people choose leaders who aren’t in politics for power or partisan domination. The Founders, Hamilton says, felt that elected officials should overcome self-interest and act for the benefit of the common good. Also, they felt that voters have a responsibility to educate themselves, to discern insincerity and reject misinformation, and to enter the voting booth prepared to set aside self-interest and do what’s best for the whole country.

Congress Shouldn't Just be About Winning makes the case that "it matters how you play the game" in Congress. Hamilton says that when Congress deals with matters of great substance, it’s increasingly the case that accumulating power and pushing through legislation are coming to hold the upper hand over a whole set of values that ought to be treasured in the legislative process: deliberation, comity, democratic access, and respect for minority views.

Why We Need Compromise observes that politics at its best is not a matter of holding onto your opinions no matter what; it’s the art of searching for common ground with people who think differently. Hamilton says that in a nation as big and diverse as ours, legislators must bridge differences of opinion and solve problems in a way that allows us all to work peaceably and productively together.

Congress Depends on Civility describes the importance of civil behavior in the legislative process. Hamilton laments that the atmosphere on Capitol Hill is so toxic that Democrats and Republicans can barely imagine finding a middle ground. He explains that members of Congress must be civil towards one another in order to produce legislation that takes into account the enormous diversity of opinion in our large country.

Keep in Touch explains that in order to be an effective representative, a member of Congress must not only keep in close touch with constituents back home, but also must seek power and influence in Washington on their behalf. Hamilton says that inevitably, this means that to do the job right, a member of Congress will have to temper his or her local orientation.

Power in Congress explains that while Congress has easily identifiable leadership positions, where the organizational charts tell you that power should reside, determining who really exercises influence on any given issue is difficult, because Congress is a complex and decentralized institution with multiple and shifting sources of power. Leaders, committee chairs, persuasive debaters, adept fund-raisers — all these and more can shape legislative outcomes.

Clicking on any commentary title will direct you to a screen with the text of that essay. You can hear a shorter version of the commentary, recorded by Hamilton, by clicking on the LISTEN TO THE RADIO VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE link. If you wish to print the commentary without frames, click on PRINTABLE PAGE.