Episode 2. Opening Act

Disapproval, Dysfunction, and Congressional Decline: In this final episode, we consider the health of American democracy and ponder the future of Congress and the American experiment. We highlight Congress's worst problems and examine various proposals to reform this key institution.

Congress versus The Supreme Court: In this episode, we look at the the tug-of-war between Congress and SCOTUS, examining how the power of the Supreme Court has been used to limit Congressional authority and analyzing the ways that important Supreme Court rulings have impacted Congressional elections, the makeup of Congress, and the present day conflicts within the institution.

Parties and Partisanship in Congress: In this episode, we look at the evolution of parties in America, the internal battle among party leaders and opposing factions, and the impact of parties and partisan battles on the operation of Congress.

How a Bill Really Becomes a Law (But Usually Doesn’t): In this episode, we look at what it takes for a major piece of legislation to get across the finish line and examine some bills that have and haven't made it.

The Budget Process: This episode describes the way the federal budget is written and examines how that process has evolved over the past half century as a result of conflicts, crises, and reform efforts

Lobbying, Logrolling, and Legislative Success: In this episode, we look at the way that lobbyists and members of Congress attempt to shape or derail emerging legislation and examine the procedural reforms that impact the power of lobbyists and shape the way members of Congress can engage in horse trading and logrolling.

Leadership in the Legislative Process: In this episode, we examine the way the leadership teams function in the House and Senate, how they attempt to shepherd bills to passage, and the ways that other groups and individuals push back against the leadership teams' control over the legislative process.

Transformative Elections and Internal Reform: In this episode, we look at the history of Congressional reform efforts undertaken since the 1970s, analyzing how the changes brought about by post-Watergate wave elections impacted the way Congress operates today.

The Rules Package: Each house of Congress is a self-organizing, self-regulating body. In this episode, we explore the rules package, the outline each chamber uses to determine how the legislative process will occur. This first installment of "Boring But Important" details some of the insider minutia that dictates the hidden workings of the (potentially) most powerful democratic body in the country.

The Circus of Congressional Elections: In this episode, we look at what it takes to win a seat in Congress, compare House and Senate elections, and look into the sources of Fenno's Paradox.