Dr. Laura Blessing discusses the history of budgeting and taxes in the United States and how it still affects us today. About Dr. Blessing: Dr. Blessing earned her PhD from the University of Virginia, she was also a Miller Center National Fellow and a Fellow for the Bankard Fund for Political Economy. Her studies focus on Congress, political parties and policy regarding tax and budget. Dr. Blessing currently teaches at Georgetown University, her teachings centralize around Congress, the presidency, media and politics as well as the public policy process. She is also a Government Affairs Institute Fellow, she teaches two research seminars on the Politics of tax and budget policy and the second research seminar explores Committees and Parties in Congress. Chapters: 0:08 - Background 3:19 - Themes for research, PhD and afterwards 5:20 - Tax and Budget 6:24 - How has the budget and tax-and-spend process changed overtime? 16:51 - Talk a little about the top-down process of the budget 22:20 - Alternatives to top-down budget process? 26:37 - Transparency related to budget process 27:59 - Proposed budget process reforms you support or don't support 33:58 - Tax Policy: Did it evolve similarly to the budget process or independently? 38:41 - Taxes: Individuals vs. Corporations and Income vs. Assets 41:49 - Borrowing and Low Interest Rates 45:24 - Earmarks 51:05 - What do you think congressional representation should mean? 56:00 - Congressional Time - How would you allocate it? 59:02 - Debate, Deliberation, and Dialogue in Congress 1:01:59 - What fundamental improvement do you think Congress should make within a 50-year time frame? Fix the budget process 1:04:00 - Good books on congressional reform About the Sunwater Institute: The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

Dr. Nick Hart discusses how data can improve policymaking in our government and why it's important to utilize data properly. About Dr. Nick Hart: Dr. Nick Hart is the CEO and President of the Data Foundation. Dr. Hart focuses his studies on evidence informed policymaking as well as open data practices to improve society. During his professional career, Dr. Hart has led initiatives in the government and nonprofits championing the use of data for bettering the way our government operates. He is a fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration and the Bipartisan Policy Center. He previously worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget, as the Policy and Research Director of the U.S. Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking, and as the Director the Evidence Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Dr. Hart earned a Ph.D. from George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, specializing in program evaluation. He holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Truman State University. Dr. Hart is also an author, he has written books and articles focusing on evidence based policymaking About the Sunwater Institute: The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org.

Representative Emanuel Cleaver discusses bipartisanship between parties and how modern change can assist with polarization issues. About the Sunwater Institute: The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

Dr. Nick Hart discusses how data can improve policymaking in our government and why it's important to utilize data properly. About Dr. Nick Hart: Dr. Nick Hart is the CEO and President of the Data Foundation. Dr. Hart focuses his studies on evidence informed policymaking as well as open data practices to improve society. During his professional career, Dr. Hart has led initiatives in the government and nonprofits championing the use of data for bettering the way our government operates. He is a fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration and the Bipartisan Policy Center. He previously worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget, as the Policy and Research Director of the U.S. Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking, and as the Director the Evidence Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Dr. Hart earned a Ph.D. from George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, specializing in program evaluation. He holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Truman State University. Dr. Hart is also an author, he has written books and articles focusing on evidence based policymaking About the Sunwater Institute: The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org.

Dr. Lindsey Cormack discusses communication within Congress, how to get the younger generation to vote, and the different terms Republicans and Democrats tend to use when conversing about political issues. #Congress #nonpartisan #interview #sunwater About Dr. Lindsey Cormack: Dr. Cormack is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Stevens Institute of Technology. Prior to her professorship, she received her PhD in Political Science from New York University. After graduating with her PhD, Dr. Cormack started DC Inbox which is the central location for Sitting Members of Congress to share e-newsletters with their constituents. Prior to DC Inbox, there was no centralized location for e-newsletters to be shared from members of Congress. Dr. Cormack is also an author and has received numerous honors and awards in relation to her teaching including but not limited to the 2021 Provost's Online Teaching Excellence Award (2021) as well as the Harvey N. Davis Distinguished Teaching Assistant Professor Award (2019) About the Sunwater Institute: The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

Dr. Periloux Peay discusses the Congressional Black Caucus and how members of color experience their service in Congress. Sunwater.org About Dr. Periloux Peay: Periloux Peay is an Assistant Professor in the department of Political Science at Georgia State University. He received my Ph.D. from The University of Oklahoma in 2020. His scholarly interest center on questions of the influence of racial identity and the representation of group-specific policy interests in political institutions. He draws on theories of the public policy process to examine how those from under-represented communities employ collective strategies to shape political agendas and outcomes from within and outside American political institutions. About the Sunwater Institute: The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

"Committees are key to telling the story of how Congress works." Dr. Maya Kornberg is the author of the forthcoming book "Inside Congressional Committees: Function and Dysfunction in Lawmaking." In this interview, she talks with Sunwater Institute founder Matt Chervenak about congressional committees' role in American governance. #Congress #nonpartisan #interview #sunwater About Dr. Kornberg: Dr. Maya Kornberg is a research fellow on the Elections and Government Program, where she leads work related to information and disinformation in politics, Congress, and money in politics. She has worked on democratic governance issues at nonprofits, international organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions. She previously held positions at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), NYU Govlab, and Public Agenda. Most recently, she led research for a UNDP and IPU project examining civic engagement in the work of over 80 parliaments around the world. She is lead author of the resulting Global Parliamentary Report. About the Sunwater Institute: The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

Representative Stephanie Bice, chair of the House Administration Committee's Modernization Subcommittee, discusses opportunities to meet the needs of an evolving Congress. Sunwater.org #Congress #reform #nonpartisan #interview #sunwater About Representative Stephanie Bice: Congresswoman Stephanie Bice graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Marketing and a minor in International Business. Before serving in the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Bice served in the Oklahoma State Senate for six years. Before her public service, Bice worked in financial oversight, business strategy and marketing for her family's technology company. In the 117th Congress, Bice was elected to serve as freshman class president and serves as a member of the Republican whip Team. She has also served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. She currently serves as the sophomore class representative to the Elected Leadership Committee for the 118th Congress. About the Sunwater Institute: The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

Dr. Chafetz discusses "overspeech" in Congress, the importance of parties, and how committees have served Congress over time. Sunwater.org About Josh: Josh Chafetz received his B.A. from Yale University, his doctorate in Politics from Oxford (where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar), and his J.D. from Yale Law School. Following law school, he clerked for Judge Guido Calabresi of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Before coming to Georgetown, he spent twelve years on the faculty at Cornell Law School. His research interests include structural constitutional law, American and British constitutional history, legislation and legislative procedure, American political development, and the intersection of law and politics. His second book, Congress’s Constitution: Legislative Authority and the Separation of Powers, was published by Yale University Press in 2017. He is also the author of Democracy’s Privileged Few: Legislative Privilege and Democratic Norms in the British and American Constitutions (Yale University Press, 2007) and is a co-editor (along with William N. Eskridge, Jr., Elizabeth Garrett, and James Brudney) of the leading casebook in Legislation, Cases and Materials on Legislation and Regulation: Statutes and the Creation of Public Policy, published by West. His scholarship has been published in the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, University of Chicago Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Duke Law Journal, Notre Dame Law Review, and Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities, among others. He has also written for a number of popular press outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Slate, and The New Republic. In 2019-2020, he served as a member of the American Political Science Association Presidential Task Force on Congressional Reform. The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

Danielle Thomsen discusses how money influences power in Congress, moderates in Congress, as well as partizan polarization. Sunwater.org About Danielle: Professor Thomsen, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. She studies American politics, U.S. Congress, elections, and gender and politics. Her book, "Opting Out of Congress: Partisan Polarization and the Decline of Moderate Candidates," examines the rise of partisan polarization in Congress. The central argument is that the benefits of serving in Congress today are too low for moderates to run, further exacerbating the ideological gulf between the two parties. Another aspect of her research analyzes contemporary patterns of women’s representation and why the number of Democratic women in Congress has increased dramatically since the 1980s while the number of Republican women has barely grown. Dr. Thomsen's next book project, Money as Muscle in American Elections, explores the significance and impact of fundraising in congressional elections from 1980 to 2020. Dr. Thomsen's research has been published in the American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Perspectives on Politics, Political Behavior, Political Research Quarterly, Politics, Groups, and Identities, and State Politics & Policy Quarterly. She has received financial support from the National Science Foundation, the American Association of University Women, the Dirksen Congressional Center, and the Social Science Research Council. The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

Joel Sievert discusses procedural actions of the senate, incentives within Congress, as well as how members view re-elections.  Sunwater.org  About Joel: Joel Sievert is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Texas Tech University. Dr. Sievert received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 2015. Prior to joining the faculty at TTU, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Political Institutions and Public Choice Program at Duke University. His research and teaching interests encompass American political institutions with an emphasis on congressional politics, the presidency, American political development, and separation of powers. Dr. Sievert's research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Politics, Political Research Quarterly, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and Presidential Studies Quarterly. He recently co-authored a book, Electoral Incentives in Congress, that is forthcoming with the University of Michigan Press.  The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

Annelise discusses covering media in Congress, how staff utilize social media for members, and how government related communications has changed over the years.  Sunwater.org  About Annelise: Annelise Russell, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the university of Kentucky. She is also a faculty associate of the U.S. Policy Agendas Project and. member of the Comparative Agendas Project. Her research includes questions about how policymakers communicate their agendas and the role of the media, particularly social media, in the political process. Much of her research is on congressional decision-making and communication, including an active research agenda in the intersection of social media and political institutions. Dr. Russell publishes research across political science, public policy and communication, including in American Politics Research and Policy Studies Journal. Much of her interest in political communication stems from her work as journalist working for the National Journal, Congressional Quarterly, and the San Francisco Chronicle.  Dr. Russell received a PhD in Government from the University of Texas at Austin, and she also holds bachelor’s degrees in political science and journalism from the University of Oklahoma.  The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

Jesse Crosson discusses unstable majorities, member incentives, and how those factors influence the speed of congressional policymaking. Sunwater.org   About Jesse Crosson: Jesse is an Assistant Professor of political science at Purdue University. Previously he was an assistant professor of political science at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, a fellow, and a visiting research scholar at Princeton University's Center for the Study of Democratic Politics. In 2019 he received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan.  Crosson's research agenda has been motivated by a long-standing interest in analyzing changes in public policy. His work focuses on the institutional underpinnings of policy change, with a particular interest in legislative parties and electoral competition. In addition to his research, he is an Assistant Professor and a proud member of the Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts faculty at Purdue University. The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

#Congress #Reform #nonpartisan #Interview #sunwater   About Steven Smith: Steven S. Smith is the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science at Washington University. He was a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and taught at George Washington University, Northwestern University, and the University of Minnesota, where he was the Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Political Science and Law. He was director of the Weidenbaum Center for 20 years. The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

Daniel Lipinski is an American politician and political scientist. He served eight terms as the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 3rd congressional district between 2005-2021. Lipinski is a socially conservative democrat, however he was a part of the Blue Dog Coalition, The Problem Solvers Caucus, and the Climate Solutions Caucus as well as many others. In addition to Caucus Memberships, he also served on two House Committees: Transportation & Infrastructure as well as the Science, Space & Technology Committee. Lipinski has appeared in podcasts, spoken publicly and published writing since his time in Congress and currently plans to continue writing about Congress.  The Sunwater Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank with a mission to strengthen the foundations of democracy through interdisciplinary science, technology, and open dialogue. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

#Congress #Reform #nonpartisan #Interview #sunwater The Sunwater Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institute founded to foster the creation, discussion, and implementation of fundamental ideas that advance liberty, knowledge, opportunity, and power for individuals and society. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

#Congress #Reform #nonpartisan #Interview #sunwater   About Leonard: Leonard Steinhorn is a professor of Communication and an affiliate professor of History. His expertise includes American politics, culture and media; the presidency and presidential elections; political strategy and communication; recent American history; the 1960s; race relations in America. He is author of The Greater Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy, and co-author of By the Color of Our Skin: The Illusion of Integration and the Reality of Race. He has published in books, journals, the Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Politico, The Hill, Political Wire, International Herald Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Baltimore Sun, Huffington Post, Salon, History News Network, BillMoyers.com, World Financial Review, among others, and he was the founding editor of PunditWire, a site where political speechwriters commented on the news. Since 2012 he has served as a political analyst for CBS News Radio, and before that he served ten years as the political analyst for FOX-5 News in Washington, DC. Steinhorn has appeared as an on-air expert in a number of documentaries, including CNN's The Sixties and 1968: The Year That Changed America, Superheroes Decoded on the History Channel, and The Kennedy Files on REELZ, and he also appeared in a DVD special feature on the baby boom generation for the final season of AMC's Mad Men. He has given hundreds of talks at home and abroad, and he currently lectures nationwide on politics and history for One Day University. Steinhorn was twice named AU Faculty Member of the Year, and he also was named Honors Professor of the Year in 2010. Before joining the AU faculty, he spent 15 years as a political consultant and speechwriter.  The Sunwater Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institute founded to foster the creation, discussion, and implementation of fundamental ideas that advance liberty, knowledge, opportunity, and power for individuals and society. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

#Congress #Reform #nonpartisan #Interview #sunwater About Michele L. Swers: Michele Swers is a Professor of American Government in the Department of Government. She earned her Ph.D. from Harvard University. Dr. Swers' research and teaching interests encompass Congress, Congressional elections, and Women and Politics. She has written two books on women and representation in Congress. Her book, The Difference Women Make: The Policy Impact of Women in Congress (University of Chicago Press 2002) explores gender differences in policy making activity on issues related to women, children, and families. Women in the Club: Gender and Policy Making in the Senate (University of Chicago Press 2013) examines the impact of gender on senators' policy activities in the areas of women's issues, national security, and judicial nominations. Swers focuses on party differences to demonstrate how party reputations for issue ownership interact with perceptions of women’s policy expertise to create opportunities and obstacles for women senators. She analyzes women’s activities as members of partisan teams leveraging their gender to promote party messages to groups of women voters and to advance their own policy goals.  Dr. Swers has written numerous articles and book chapters on women in Congress and women in elections as candidates and voters. Recent articles examine the evolution of partisan voting on abortion-related issues in Congress (Politics & Gender 2021) with Kelly Rolfes-Haase and the state legislatures (Political Research Quarterly 2020) with Beth Reingold, Rebecca Kreitzer, and Tracy Osborn. Swers also analyzes how fundraising practices have contributed to the party gap in women's representation and the underrepresentation of women in the Republican party (Political Research Quarterly 2017) with Danielle Thomsen and (Politics & Gender 2016) with Karin Kitchens. She co-authors the textbook, Women and Politics: Paths to Power and Political Influence (Rowman & Littlefield Updated 4th edition 2021) with Julie Dolan and Melissa Deckman. Dr. Swers has provided expertise on Congressional policymaking and elections and the role of women in politics to media outlets including The News Hour, Washington Post, CQ Weekly, Politico, and numerous national and state newspapers. She is currently working on a project that examines differences in the policy views and support coalitions of Republican men and women in Congress. The Sunwater Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institute founded to foster the creation, discussion, and implementation of fundamental ideas that advance liberty, knowledge, opportunity, and power for individuals and society. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.

#Congress #Reform #nonpartisan #Interview #sunwater   About Casey Burgat: Casey Burgat is the director of the Legislative Affairs program at the Graduate School of Political Management. Prior to joining GSPM, Dr. Burgat was a Senior Governance Fellow at the R Street Institute where his research focused on issues of congressional capacity and reform. In this role, Casey wrote regularly for both scholarly and journalistic publications, including CNN, the Washington Post, Politico, and appeared on a variety of television and radio outlets. Dr. Burgat is currently finishing on a co-authored book on congressional policy procedures and strategies, to be published by the University of Michigan Press. Previously, Casey worked at the Congressional Research Service, where he served in the Executive Branch Operations and the Congress & Judiciary sections. There, he was responsible for responding to congressional requests about federal rule-making, issues of congressional reform, the president’s role in federal budgeting, federal advisory committees and congressional staffing. Casey is a graduate of Arizona State University, with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He also holds a master’s in political management from George Washington University and received his doctorate in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park, where his dissertation focused on the impacts of congressional staff.

#Congress #Reform #nonpartisan #Interview #sunwater Zachary Courser is Director of CMC's Policy Lab and a visiting Assistant Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College. His research agenda focuses on public policy, political parties, democracy and populism. He recently co-authored a report for the American Enterprise Institute on the need for reinstating congressional earmarking entitled "Restoring the power of the purse: Earmarks and re-empowering legislators to deliver local benefits" (AEI, 2021). He is a contributor and editor of the volume Parchment Barriers: Political Polarization and the Limits of Constitutional Order (University Press of Kansas, 2018), the result of a year-long, multi-disciplinary research project examining the dynamics of polarization through an examination of conflicts over the American constitutional order. Prof. Courser has led several research partnerships for CMC’s Policy Lab with a variety of think tanks, including Bipartisan Policy Center, RAND Corporation, American Enterprise Institute, and the Brookings Institution. He is currently leading a project with AEI on how well state emergency elections laws performed in adapting to pandemic conditions of the 2020 election. Together with Prof. Eric Helland he is writing a policy textbook based on the Policy Lab's undergraduate program for Routledge. He has experience working in Washington, DC, both on Capitol Hill and as the interim director of Claremont McKenna College’s Washington Program, and is a commentator on California and national politics on Southern California Public Radio. Before coming to CMC he served as the Program Director and Fellow for a London-based think tank, and taught American Politics at Science Po Lyon in France. He holds a master’s and doctoral degree in government from the University of Virginia, and a bachelor’s in government from Claremont McKenna College. He also holds a diplôme universitaire d’études françaises from the Université Lumière Lyon 2, Centre International d’Études Françaises. The Sunwater Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institute founded to foster the creation, discussion, and implementation of fundamental ideas that advance liberty, knowledge, opportunity, and power for individuals and society. Sunwater’s vision is a society, founded on the principles of individual liberty, striving toward its maximum potential. For more information, visit https://www.sunwater.org​​.