Reforming Congress Interview Series

As a north Georgia country boy, Tom’s life has been fueled by one slogan his father shared with him: Dream Big, Work Hard, and Achieve Much. ‍  He’s been a small business owner, a real estate investor, a Georgia State Representative and a member of Congress. As a U.S. Representative for more than a decade, he’s prioritized relationship building, pursuing creative solutions and executable stra...

Professor Ruth Bloch Rubin joined the Reforming Congress Series to discuss intraparty organizations, how leadership power affects these organizations, and how rules effect Congress.   About Professor Ruth Bloch Rubin:  Ruth Bloch Rubin studies American politics, with a substantive focus on legislative institutions, political parties, and American political development. Combining archival...

Chris Stirewalt from The Dispatch joined the Reforming Congress Interview Series to talk about how the media effects Congress and how congressional reporting has changed over time.   About Chris Stirewalt:  Chris Stirewalt is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he focuses on American politics, voting trends, public opinion, and the media. He is concurre...

James Wallner joins the Reforming Congress Interview Series to discuss his time in the Senate, the rules & processes in the Senate, and the impact a feedback loop could have on the institution.    About James Wallner:  James Wallner is a senior fellow at the R Street Institute, where he writes about the theory and practice of democratic politics. His research focuses on the sepa...

In this episode of the Reforming Congress Interview Series, Michael D Minta joins us to discuss minority groups and their behavior in Congress,  how redistricting would affect Congress, and his experience with sunset provisions. Michael D. Minta is an associate professor in Political Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He received a Ph. D. in Political Science from the Univer...

Professor Nolan McCarty of Princeton University joins the Reforming Congress Interview Series to discuss polarization, how game theory can be applied to Congress, and how the incentive structure works in terms of legislative and voting behaviors. About Nolan McCarty Nolan McCarty is the Susan Dod Brown Professor of Politics and Public Affairs. He was formerly the chair of the Department of Politic...

Professor Jennifer Victor from George Mason University joins the Reforming Congress Series to discuss caucuses and lobbyists and its effect on Congress. She also discusses the networks that are healthy in Congress, the affect transparency has on building on relationships, and she answers the lightning round questions that each guest answers on the program. About Professor Jennifer Victor:  Je...

This week, Yuval Levin joins the Reforming Congress Interview Series to discuss the appropriate role of parties in Congress, how persuasion works in Congress, and the incentives members of Congress have.   About Yuval Levin: Yuval Levin is the founding and current editor of National Affairs. He is also the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterpris...

Senator Christopher J. Dodd is a member of Arnold & Porter's Legislative and Public Policy group. His practice focuses on helping clients navigate the complex issues around numerous industries, including financial services, media and entertainment, intellectual property and data privacy, telecommunications, healthcare, national security, trade, and sovereigns. With more than three decades of e...

Mickey Edwards is a visiting lecturer in public and international affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. Before coming to Princeton he taught for 11 years at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he was the John Quincy Adams Lecturer in Legislative Practice. Edwards has also been a visiting lecturer at the Harvard Law School and a visiting professor at Georgetown...

Derek Kilmer serves as the United States Representative of Washington’s 6th Congressional District.   With over a decade of experience working in economic development in the Puget Sound region, Derek Kilmer is focused on getting our economy and our Congress back to work. Derek has a strong record as a problem solver for Washington families and he's been recognized by veterans organizations fo...

Dr. Tim Persons is GAO's Chief Scientist and one of two Managing Directors of the Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics team. The team conducts technology assessments, provides oversight of federal science and technology programs, provides technical assistance on science and technologies issues to the Congress, and develops innovative analytical techniques for carrying out audits and evalu...

Dr. Tim Persons is GAO's Chief Scientist and one of two Managing Directors of the Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics team. The team conducts technology assessments, provides oversight of federal science and technology programs, provides technical assistance on science and technologies issues to the Congress, and develops innovative analytical techniques for carrying out audits and evalu...

Schick came to the School of Public Policy from the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, where he served as a senior specialist. His professional history includes research positions at the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution and teaching positions at Tufts University and Syracuse University. Schick's extensive list of publications includes Congress and Money: Spending, Ta...

Schick came to the School of Public Policy from the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, where he served as a senior specialist. His professional history includes research positions at the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution and teaching positions at Tufts University and Syracuse University. Schick's extensive list of publications includes Congress and Money: Spending, Ta...

Joshua C. Huder, Ph. D., joined the Government Affairs Institute as a Senior Fellow in 2013. He primarily teaches courses on American government, Congress, advanced legislative process, separation of powers, and the federal budget process. He has provided political analysis to several news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, Politico, Newsweek, Washingt...

Joshua C. Huder, Ph. D., joined the Government Affairs Institute as a Senior Fellow in 2013. He primarily teaches courses on American government, Congress, advanced legislative process, separation of powers, and the federal budget process. He has provided political analysis to several news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, Politico, Newsweek, Washingt...

Eric Schickler is Jeffrey & Ashley McDermott Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of three books which have won the Richard F. Fenno, Jr. Prize for the best book on legislative politics: Disjointed Pluralism: Institutional Innovation and the Development of the U.S. Congress (2001), Filibuster: Obstruction and Lawmaking in the United States...

Eric Schickler is Jeffrey & Ashley McDermott Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of three books which have won the Richard F. Fenno, Jr. Prize for the best book on legislative politics: Disjointed Pluralism: Institutional Innovation and the Development of the U.S. Congress (2001), Filibuster: Obstruction and Lawmaking in the United States...

Maya MacGuineas is the president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Her areas of expertise include budget, tax, and economic policy.  As a leading budget expert for the past twenty years and a political independent, she has worked closely with members of both parties and serves as a trusted resource on Capitol Hill. MacGuineas testifies regularly before Congress and...

Maya MacGuineas is the president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Her areas of expertise include budget, tax, and economic policy.  As a leading budget expert for the past twenty years and a political independent, she has worked closely with members of both parties and serves as a trusted resource on Capitol Hill. MacGuineas testifies regularly before Congress and...

Kevin Esterling is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, and the Director of the Laboratory for Technology, Communication and Democracy (TeCD Lab), at the University of California, Riverside.  He is the past interim dean of the UCR Graduate Division.  His research focuses on institutional design for communication in democratic politics, and he has interests in Bayesian statis...

Kevin Esterling is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, and the Director of the Laboratory for Technology, Communication and Democracy (TeCD Lab), at the University of California, Riverside.  He is the past interim dean of the UCR Graduate Division.  His research focuses on institutional design for communication in democratic politics, and he has interests in Bayesian statis...

Joseph Matal is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the Washington, D.C. office of Haynes and Boone, LLP.  Joe has served as both the U.S. Patent and Trademark’s Acting Director and Acting Solicitor. As Acting Solicitor, he defended the agency in intellectual property cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. In his role in the...

Joseph Matal is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the Washington, D.C. office of Haynes and Boone, LLP.  Joe has served as both the U.S. Patent and Trademark’s Acting Director and Acting Solicitor. As Acting Solicitor, he defended the agency in intellectual property cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. In his role in the...