U.S. Politics Publications
A Better Way to Fund the Government on Time
Sep 20, 2011Congress will not celebrate fiscal new year’s eve Sept. 30. That’s because: (a) it will not be in town; and (b) it will have nothing to celebrate. more
Mixed Records of Success for Joint Committees
Sep 06, 2011If a camel is a horse designed by a committee, is a duck-billed platypus a duck conceived by a bipartisan, joint committee of Congress? We may soon know, as the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction is mandated to report additional budget savings of at least $1.5 trillion over the next decade by Nov. 23. more
Debt Deal Shows How Process Becomes Policy
Aug 02, 2011If you got the impression during the debt limit imbroglio that our leaders were creatively trying to extricate themselves from a box of their own making, you’ve been cribbing from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s manual: Crises (fabricated or not) can advance worthy goals—even restoring fiscal sanity. It’s getting there that sometimes seems insane. more
US Immigration Policy and Mexican/Central American Migration Flows: Then and Now
Aug 01, 2011Young, low-skilled immigrants perform essential work, but the rapid growth of low-wage, limited English proficient (LEP), unauthorized populations in states with limited migration experience has contributed to increased anti-immigrant sentiment. Forty years into the current wave of regional migration, and after 25 years of increasingly serious enforcement efforts, this history also defines and limits the policy alternatives available, and highlights the challenges of managing regional flows. more
US Immigration Policy Since 9/11: Understanding the Stalemate over Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Aug 01, 2011This report reviews the recent history of US immigration legislation, including new enforcement mandates passed immediately after 9/11 and unsuccessful efforts to pass CIR bills during the 109th and 110th Congresses. This history, together with asymmetries in the political process that favor enforcement-oriented responses, stack the deck against legalization and visa reform. Any possibility of success was further hurt by the timing of the reform debate with respect to the national electoral calendar in 2006-07 and the economic downturn beginning in 2008. more
Libya Motivates Members to Rally Together
Jul 19, 2011When Hillary Clinton was told June 22 that House Republicans were scheduling two votes on Libya later that week, she reportedly asked, “Whose side are they on?” If that sounds reminiscent of a president telling other nations, “You’re either with us or against us,” welcome to the world of war rhetoric. more
Reorganizing Congress and the Executive in Response to Focusing Events: Lessons of the Past, Portents for the Future
Jul 07, 2011The Politics and Processes of Congress
Jul 07, 2011Remarks of Don Wolfensberger before the Executive Council on Diplomacy Briefing of Foreign Diplomats on "The Washington Roadmap: How Congress Works." April 8, 2004 more
Congressional Oversight: Rules of the Road Less Traveled
Jul 07, 2011Remarks by Donald R. Wolfensberger before the CRS Staff Oversight Workshop, United States House of Representatives, October 28, 2004 more
