Congress Overwhelmed
The Decline in Congressional Capacity and Prospects for Reform
- Contents
- Review Quotes
Table of Contents

Contents
1 Overwhelmed: An Introduction to Congress’s Capacity Problem
Timothy M. LaPira, Lee Drutman, and Kevin R. Kosar
Part 1 The Foundations of Congressional Capacity
2 Capacity for What? Legislative Capacity Regimes in Congress and the Possibilities for Reform
Lee Drutman and Timothy M. LaPira
3 The Decline in Congressional Capacity
Molly E. Reynolds
4 How Congress Fell Behind the Executive Branch
Philip A. Wallach
Part 2 Knowledge and Expertise in Congress
5 The Congressional Capacity Survey: Who Staff Are, How They Got There, What They Do, and Where They May Go
Alexander C. Furnas, Lee Drutman, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Timothy M. LaPira, and Kevin R. Kosar
6 What Do Congressional Staff Actually Know?
Kristina C. Miler
7 How Committee Staffers Clear the Runway for Legislative Action in Congress
Casey Burgat and Charles Hunt
8 Legislative Branch Support Agencies: What They Are, What They Do, and Their Uneasy Position in Our System of Government
Kevin R. Kosar
Part 3 The Politics of Capacity in the Legislative Process
9 Still Muddling Along? Assessing the Hybrid Congressional Appropriations Process
Peter Hanson
10 Congress and the Capacity to Act: Overcoming Gridlock in the Senate’s Amendment Process
James Wallner
11 The Issue Dynamics of Congressional Capacity
Jonathan Lewallen, Sean M. Theriault, and Bryan D. Jones
12 Congressional Capacity and Reauthorizations
E. Scott Adler, Stefani R. Langehennig, and Ryan W. Bell
13 How Experienced Legislative Staff Contribute to Effective Lawmaking
Jesse M. Crosson, Geoffrey M. Lorenz, Craig Volden, and Alan E. Wiseman
14 Capacity in a Centralized Congress
James M. Curry and Frances E. Lee
15 Congressional Capacity and Bipartisanship in Congress
Laurel Harbridge-Yong
Part 4 Capacity and the Politics of Reform
16 Lessons from the History of Reform
Ruth Bloch Rubin
17 Dodging Dead Cats: What Would It Take to Get Congress to Expand Capacity?
Anthony Madonna and Ian Ostrander
Acknowledgments
Notes
References
List of Contributors
Index
Online appendixes are available at https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataverse/congressionalcapacity/.
Timothy M. LaPira, Lee Drutman, and Kevin R. Kosar
Part 1 The Foundations of Congressional Capacity
2 Capacity for What? Legislative Capacity Regimes in Congress and the Possibilities for Reform
Lee Drutman and Timothy M. LaPira
3 The Decline in Congressional Capacity
Molly E. Reynolds
4 How Congress Fell Behind the Executive Branch
Philip A. Wallach
Part 2 Knowledge and Expertise in Congress
5 The Congressional Capacity Survey: Who Staff Are, How They Got There, What They Do, and Where They May Go
Alexander C. Furnas, Lee Drutman, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Timothy M. LaPira, and Kevin R. Kosar
6 What Do Congressional Staff Actually Know?
Kristina C. Miler
7 How Committee Staffers Clear the Runway for Legislative Action in Congress
Casey Burgat and Charles Hunt
8 Legislative Branch Support Agencies: What They Are, What They Do, and Their Uneasy Position in Our System of Government
Kevin R. Kosar
Part 3 The Politics of Capacity in the Legislative Process
9 Still Muddling Along? Assessing the Hybrid Congressional Appropriations Process
Peter Hanson
10 Congress and the Capacity to Act: Overcoming Gridlock in the Senate’s Amendment Process
James Wallner
11 The Issue Dynamics of Congressional Capacity
Jonathan Lewallen, Sean M. Theriault, and Bryan D. Jones
12 Congressional Capacity and Reauthorizations
E. Scott Adler, Stefani R. Langehennig, and Ryan W. Bell
13 How Experienced Legislative Staff Contribute to Effective Lawmaking
Jesse M. Crosson, Geoffrey M. Lorenz, Craig Volden, and Alan E. Wiseman
14 Capacity in a Centralized Congress
James M. Curry and Frances E. Lee
15 Congressional Capacity and Bipartisanship in Congress
Laurel Harbridge-Yong
Part 4 Capacity and the Politics of Reform
16 Lessons from the History of Reform
Ruth Bloch Rubin
17 Dodging Dead Cats: What Would It Take to Get Congress to Expand Capacity?
Anthony Madonna and Ian Ostrander
Acknowledgments
Notes
References
List of Contributors
Index
Online appendixes are available at https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataverse/congressionalcapacity/.
Review Quotes
Josh Ryan, Utah State University
“Congress Overwhelmed brings together a strong set of congressional scholars addressing some of the most important issues facing the institution today. It will appeal not just to other scholars but also to observers of Congress, such as members of the media, staffers, and anyone working in and around Capitol Hill. The book offers an honest assessment of existing congressional limitations and how Congress can become more productive and functional."
Eric Schikler, University of California, Berkeley
“Congress Overwhelmed brings together the leading experts on Congress to address a critical issue facing American democracy: what can be done to ensure that Congress fulfills its role as a coequal branch in our political system? The volume provides a clear and compelling account of the many challenges facing today’s Congress and offers valuable lessons for reformers seeking to improve the legislative branch’s capacity.”
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