Lame Ducks and Congressional Accountability

Lame Duck sessions undermine representative government

James WallnerOctober 23, 2018Congress, Lame Duck SessionsComment

Americans Don’t Need a Politics Cleanse

Instead of doing a politics cleanse, Americans should go on a bender

James WallnerSeptember 26, 2018Political Dysfunction, Political Theory, Socrates, James MadisonComment

Richard Russell and the Importance of Remembering the Past

A republic perishes when its citizens no longer remember their past

James WallnerSeptember 7, 2018Richard Russell, John McCain, Tradition, Russell Senate Office BuildingComment

Democrats have a point on Brett Kavanaugh documents, but GOP should stick to confirmation timeline

Republicans should stop treating Kavanaugh like a client whom they are protecting from opposing counsel in a hostile deposition

James WallnerSeptember 6, 2018Brett Kavanaugh, Documents, Supreme Court, Confirmation Process, Advise and ConsentComment

Neither party treats Supreme Court nominations like the Founders intended

Advise and consent bears resemblance to the process envisioned in the Constitution

James WallnerSeptember 5, 2018Confirmation Process, Advise and Consent, Constitution, Supreme Court, Brett KavanaughComment

Senate Republicans made a threat, and Democrats called their bluff yet again

Senate Republicans can’t commit

James WallnerAugust 31, 2018Legislative BargainingComment

Confirmation Wars and Constitutional Authority (Part II)

“In reality, we rationalize, we deny, or we couldn’t go on confirming.”

James WallnerAugust 17, 2018Senate, Confirmation Process, Filibuster, Nuclear OptionComment

Confirmation Wars and Constitutional Authority (Part I)

For today’s senators, the ends always justify the means

James WallnerAugust 16, 2018Senate, Confirmation Process, Judicial NominationsComment

Will Discontent in Congress Spark Change?

The leader-driven equilibrium is increasingly precarious

James WallnerAugust 4, 2018Congress, Institutional Change, Leadership, Electoral PressureComment

Party Polarization Is an Illusion

What exactly are political parties, and how do they matter?

James WallnerJuly 25, 2018Congress, Polarization, Agenda ControlComment

Why filling the vacant Supreme Court seat is bad for the country

A deadlocked court would be better for the future of U.S. politics.

James WallnerJuly 11, 2018Supreme Court, Senate, Confirmation Process, Presidency, ConstitutionComment

What's Wrong with American Politics

Congress no longer seen as preeminent institution

James WallnerJuly 3, 2018Congress, Political Dysfunction, Gridlock, Deliberation, ConflictComment

Polarization is an output of our process, not the cause of all our woes

We seek to clarify and deepen our original discussion about polarization in this post.

James WallnerJune 27, 2018Congress, PolarizationComment

Rethinking Politics

It is time to question the way in which we think about politics.

James WallnerJune 18, 2018Comment

McConnell Is the Longest-Serving GOP Leader. But Not the Most Consequential.

Mitch McConnell is a tough guy to figure out

James WallnerJune 15, 2018Senate, Leadership, McConnell, Mansfield, GridlockComment

Congress is Broken. But Don't Blame Polarization

“Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule.”

James WallnerJune 9, 2018Congress, Polarization, Leadership, Gridlock, DeliberationComment

A coalition at risk: GOP leadership put loyalty over debate

Republican leaders try to fend off a rogue effort to force House action

James WallnerJune 7, 2018Congress, House of Representatives, Republicans, Immigration, Discharge PetitionComment

Don't expect the Senate's inaction to change anytime soon

There is a lot more to the Senate’s dysfunction than Democratic intransigence alone

James WallnerJune 7, 2018Senate, Gridlock, Obstruction, Politics of EffortComment

An Impotent Congress

Americans have good reason to believe that their government isn’t working

James WallnerMay 18, 2018Congress, Gridlock, Politics of Effort, PolarizationComment

Sorry Trump, earmarks will only make budgeting harder for Congress

Reviving earmarks will only make today’s dysfunction worse

James WallnerApril 6, 2018Budget Process, Earmarks, Reform, Donald TrumpComment