Congress
The Wilson Center and Congress
Wilson Forum - Drug Policy: A 21st Century Approach to Reform
A panel of experts, including R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of Drug Control Policy at the White House, discusses reforming current policies combating illegal drugs in the United States and Latin America. more
The Trans - Atlantic South Partnership: Positions on Building a Mutually Beneficial Partnership with Africa
May 21, 2013
It is very simple. Until the U.S. is as optimally invested, or doing business as briskly as the Chinese, the EU, Indians, Brazilians or Vietnamese; the world’s largest economy can neither expand its commercial footprint in Africa nor make a portentous impact on the lives of over a billion Africans. more
The Way of the Knife
Mark Mazzetti discusses his new book "The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth." Curtis Brainard surveys the landscape of science journalism. more
Latin American Program in the News: U.S. officials await signal from new Mexican government on security ties
Apr 29, 2013Associate Director Eric Olson commented on the future security cooperation between Mexico and the U.S. on the occasion of the Obama trip to that country this week.
A Brief History of Congressional Reform Efforts
Apr 22, 2013Congress has undergone many changes since World War II, most of which have had to do with adapting to the complexities of modern society and the commensurate growth in the Executive Branch bureaucracy and powers of the presidency. The first major post War reform efforts begun in 1945 and 1965 were premised on the belief that any institutional changes should be bicameral and bipartisan. Consequently, joint committees of equal party and chamber representation were formed to conduct a comprehensive study of the organization and operations of Congress with a view to strengthening it...
Latin American Program in the News: Chavez Heir to Be Sworn in as Vote Dispute Roils Investors
Apr 19, 2013Director Cynthia J. Arnson remarked on how Maduro’s narrow victory margin will give him little room for maneuver to address accelerating inflation, sparse supermarket shelves and slowing growth.
Latin American Program in the News: El futuro de las alianzas 'heredadas' por Chávez a Venezuela
Apr 15, 2013Director Cynthia J. Arnson weighs in on the diplomatic alliances that Venezuela has forged with countries in the Latin America and how certain regional nations are somewhat economically dependent on the continuation of Chávez's leftwing policies in Venezuela. (In Spanish)
Act of Congress: How America’s Essential Institution Works, and How It Doesn’t
May 17, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:30pm
The founding fathers expected Congress to be the most important branch of government and gave it the most power. When Congress is broken—as its justifiably dismal approval ratings suggest—so is our democracy. Here, Robert G. Kaiser, whose long and distinguished career at The Washington Post has made him as keen and knowledgeable an observer of Congress as we have, takes us behind the sound bites to expose the protocols, players, and politics of the House and Senate—revealing both the triumphs of the system and (more often) its fundamental flaws.
AGOA Policy Breakfast
April 25, 2013 // 8:00am — 10:00am
On Thursday, April 25, House and Senate Members gathered in the Member’s Room of the Library of Congress for the first in a series of policy breakfasts on Africa-focused issues.
The Gingrich Senators: The Roots of Partisan Warfare in Congress
April 25, 2013 // 5:00pm — 6:00pm
The much venerated Senate of the mid-twentieth century is now a distant memory. Today senators routinely electioneer on the Senate floor, play games with the legislative process, and question each other’s motives. Sean M. Theriault documents how one group of senators has been at the forefront of the transformation—the “Gingrich Senators,” which he defines as those Republicans who previously served in the House after New Gingrich was first elected. He shows how the Gingrich Senators are more conservative and more likely to engage in partisan warfare than the other Republicans.
The Trans - Atlantic South Partnership: Positions on Building a Mutually Beneficial Partnership with Africa
It is very simple. Until the U.S. is as optimally invested, or doing business as briskly as the Chinese, the EU, Indians, Brazilians or Vietnamese; the world’s largest economy can neither expand its commercial footprint in Africa nor make a portentous impact on the lives of over a billion Africans.
Congress Takes Recess From Pro Formas
So far this Congress has been spared the brief “pro forma” sessions used to block presidential recess appointments in previous Congresses. Both parties have done it to prevent a president of the other party from filling judicial or executive branch vacancies while Congress is away. A recent court decision however, may change all that.
Filibusters Sometimes Serve Purposes
Senate filibusters have long been a target of congressional reformers, though as much as the Senate might tweak the rules, they are unlikely to give up this valuable right of the minority to talk. And sometimes talking does build support for an issue.
Wilson Forum - Drug Policy: A 21st Century Approach to Reform
A panel of experts, including R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of Drug Control Policy at the White House, discusses reforming current policies combating illegal drugs in the United States and Latin America.
The Way of the Knife
Mark Mazzetti discusses his new book "The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth." Curtis Brainard surveys the landscape of science journalism.
Moynihan’s Moment & North Korean Sabre Rattling
We look back at the legacy of the late great Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan with the help of Gil Troy, author of Moynihan’s Moment: America’s Fight Against Zionism as Racism, and Maura Moynihan, daughter of Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Donald Wolfensberger
Former Director, The Congress Project
Donald R. Wolfensberger is director of the Congress Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a position he had held since June 1999. He first came to the Wilson Center in February 1997 as a guest scholar where he wrote the book, Congress and the People: Deliberative Democracy...
Elizabeth Byers
Elizabeth Byers is the special assistant to the Vice President for Programs. She previously served as the program associate for the Program on America and the Global Economy. Prior to joining the Wilson Center, she was a congressional intern. Byers earned her M.A. in International Relations fr...