The Broken First Branch

The twentieth century oversaw a significant decline in the capacity of the “first branch” of government to address major policy problems. More recently, the January 6^th, 2021 assault on the U.S. Congress has called into question the potential for members to work together to protect Congress’s position under our constitutional system. What are the causes and consequences of these developments? This class examines these issues through the rise of rampant partisan polarization, declining legislative capacity and effectiveness, a decades-long loss of power to the executive branch, repeated cycles of budget fights and government shutdowns, and much more.  While focused on contemporary national politics, we will also consider insights from state governments as well as legislatures around the globe.