Events

Congress, the central democratic institution in the United States, is hanging on by a thread. In Stuck: How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress, political scientist Maya Kornberg chronicles the efforts of congressional reformers over the last fifty years, and documents the mounting forces that have kept their reforms from creating meaningful change. Join her for an important conversation with historian and political analyst Julian Zelizer, as they examine why this body has proven so resistant to reform and what that stubborn inertia reveals about the state of our democracy.

From the reform-minded “Watergate class” of the 1970s to today’s hyper-polarized Congress, rising political violence, skyrocketing campaign costs, relentless fundraising pressures, shrinking staff capacity, toxic social media, and centralized party leadership have steadily narrowed lawmakers’ ability to legislate. Bolstered by dozens of interviews with current and former members of Congress, Kornberg’s book illuminates how internal congressional dynamics have weakened the institution and ceded power to an increasingly expansive executive branch.

At the same time, Stuck outlines concrete, achievable reforms that could restore Congress’s capacity to function and amplify the influence of its newest members. At a moment when public faith in democratic institutions is dangerously eroding, join us for a conversation that confronts the urgent question: how do we make democracy work for those it is meant to serve?