Congress
The Wilson Center and Congress
With Congress at Low Point, Time for Reform Is Now
Mar 14, 2012Former House Rules Committee staffer and Wilson Center expert Don Wolfensberger lays out a step-by-step plan to restore Congress’ “culture of lawmaking.” Committees—not party leaders—should control legislative work, he says, and campaign finance reforms are needed to shift attention from 24-7 fundraising.
Mexico Institute: February Highlights
Mar 09, 2012Each month, the Mexico Institute will review and highlight the month’s activities and feature them here. Visitors will be able to watch the recap from our most recent events, browse our new publications, and read articles that feature key media appearances of the Mexico Institute staff.
Latin American Program in the News: US Senators Warn Latin America on Iran Ties
Feb 17, 2012The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Global Narcotics Affairs held a hearing on February 16, 2012 on Iran’s relationship and influence in Latin America. Director Cynthia J. Arnson was among the witnesses.
Independent Swing
Feb 02, 2012Linda Killian discusses independent voters with MSNBC's Alex Wagner and her NOW panel.
Congress and the Global Energy Crunch
May 21, 2012 // 4:00pm — 6:00pm
The debate over national energy policy is bound to heat up as the presidential and congressional elections grow closer, both on the campaign trail and in the halls of Congress. This panel will explore just how much can realistically be expected out of Congress this year in altering the country’s energy course and what new challenges and opportunities we might confront in the expanding global market for energy resources.
The Culture of Congress, Yesterday and Today
April 30, 2012 // 3:00pm — 5:00pm
Many have commented on how much Congress has changed over the last 40 years for a variety of reasons, most noticeably from the increasing importance of political parties in the legislative process and their increased polarization from each other. In this roundtable discussion, former Members, congressional staff and area political scientists will discuss the ultimate question of whether there is any way to restore a greater measure of deliberation and bipartisan national problem-solving.
Congress & the Politics of Trade
March 19, 2012 // 4:00pm — 6:00pm
This panel will explore the intersection presidential and congressional politics as they play-out against the President’s trade agenda.
Revisiting the Budget Control Act Is Inevitable
The dispute this spring between the House and Senate over whether a congressional budget resolution is even necessary this year highlights difficulties down the road as the two houses weigh-in with widely divergent spending numbers writes Don Wolfensberger in Roll Call.
Parliamentarians Hold Unruly House Together
The retirement of House Parliamentarian John Sullivan drew tributes from both House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on the importance of the Office of Parliamentarian in holding the House together, and the special qualities required for the postion, chief among them, the ability to withstand extreme pressures in one of politics’ biggest pressure cookers.
Trade and Development in Africa: Congressional Study Trip to Ghana and Liberia
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Wilson Center) sponsored a congressional study trip to Ghana and Liberia from March 20 to March 26, 2011. It was organized by Wilson Center on the Hill and the Africa Program at the Wilson Center. This trip was funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
The Swing Vote: The Untapped Power of Independents
Linda Killian, journalist and Wilson Center Senior Scholar
Are the People Prepared for Their Responsibilities?
This being an election year, the presidential candidates are getting much scrutiny. Former Congressman Lee Hamilton says there's an equally important question we need to be asking: "Are the people prepared for their responsibilities?"
Is Fixing Congressional Procedure a Lost Cause?
Changes in how Congress operates have made it a less open, fair and democratic institution. Former Congressman Lee Hamilton worries that it may now be too late to change, and wonders, "Is Fixing Congressional Procedure a Lost Cause?"
Donald Wolfensberger
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 a program associate for the Wilson Center on the Hill program and 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 from Webster University while studying in Vienna, Londo...
