Videos

Academic and political scholars talked about President Trump’s first year in office and the state of American democracy. Topics included political polarization in the U.S. and the rise of po…

Congressional scholars Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein talked about the year 2013 on Capitol Hill and assessed the 113th Congress. They spoke about approval ratings and trust ratings that pu…

Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein talked about the political, ideological, legislative, and institutional causes of the dysfunction that leads to situations such as the possible government shu…

Thomas Mann, co-author of The Broken Branch and It’s Even Worse Than It Looks, discussed the topic, “Congress: Is It the Broken Branch?” with students at Purdue University, George Mason Univ…

Robert Kaiser talked about his book, Act of Congress: How America’s Essential Institution Works, and How It Doesn’t, in which he recounts the struggle to pass the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Refo…

In their new book, congressional scholars Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein examine partisan politics in the U.S. government. The authors contend that the level of “hyperpartisanship” has resu…

Panelists talked about issues facing the lame-duck session of the 112th Congress, as well as what the first 100 days of the 113th could include. They focused on the “fiscal cliff,” the impen…

Thomas Mann and Norm Ornstein talked about their book, It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism. In the book they exa…

Panelists examined the effects of U.S. domestic political discord on foreign policy strength and overall standing abroad. Much of the discussion focused on on recent debt ceiling negotiation…

Panelists talked about conflicts in several states over constitutionally-mandated redistricting. Congressional districts are redrawn every ten years to reflect population shifts. Topics incl…

Thomas Mann and Douglas Brinkley talked about the response of government and political leaders to crises throughout U.S. history, and they responded to telephone calls and electronic communi…

David Hawkings moderated a discussion of the agenda for Congress after the 2010 midterm elections. Panelists focused on the challenges of divided government, the level of partisanship in Con…

Political scientists spoke about the the Obama administration’s legislative agenda and how the Democratic Congress responded to it. Among the topics they addressed were the level of partisan…

The Center for American Progress held a discussion on the use of the filibuster rule and its effect on modern U.S. Senate procedures. Senator Tom Udall talked about the history of the filibu…

Norman Ornstein and Thomas Mann talked about their book The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track, published by Oxford University Press. The talked a…

Panelists spoke about the 2008 general election results, the potential impact of an Obama presidency, and potential shifts in U.S. policy as a result of Democratic Party gains in the House a…

Brookings’s “Mending the Broken Branch” project released its report on congressional performance during the previous year and previewed the year ahead. The authors suggested that over the pa…

Panelists assessed congressional accomplishments during the year and examined legislators' progress in enacting reforms. Among the topics they addressed were the implementation of procedural…

Participants spoke about The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track, published by Oxford University Press, in which authors Norman J. Ornstein and Tho…

Students from the University of Denver and Pace University in New York City participated by broadband feed in a distance learning class. Norman Ornstein and Thomas Mann spoke to the class…