A summary of the one-hour presentation, which included supporting data from decades past through recent years:
There has been so much Congress-bashing for so long in our national discourse that there has been some forgetting about what makes a representative assembly important and valuable. 1/
Although Congress is usually presented as unrelentingly polarized, I will argue that coping with conflict is one of Congress’s greatest strengths. The composition of Congress reflects overall party strength in the national electorate surprisingly well. 2/
The institution operates according to procedures that are respectful and inclusive of political differences. Furthermore, enacting coalitions are dominantly large and bipartisan, both generally and on important legislation. 3/
Even in the polarized contemporary era, coalition leaders usually win passage of their proposals by backing down from controversial provisions and otherwise coopting or logrolling support from the minority party. 4/
Comments
There has been so much Congress-bashing for so long in our national discourse that there has been some forgetting about what makes a representative assembly important and valuable. 1/