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Lee H. Hamilton, the director of the Center on Congress, was U.S. Representative from Indiana’s Ninth District from 1965 to 1999.

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January 23, 2012

Congress and the Constitution’s 225th Anniversary

The Framers regarded Congress as so important they put it first, as Article I, Section 1. What was seen then as the keystone of republican government is now widely regarded as the “broken branch.” If the voice of the people is truly to be heard, our nation must have the vigorous, capable Congress envisioned in the Constitution.

January 9, 2012

A More Rounded Way To Gauge Congress

Whatever action Congress takes — or does not take — some large portion of the electorate will disagree. Such is the political polarization in our nation today. But how well does Congress really represent the interests of the American people? It does better in some areas than in others.

December 22, 2011

Let’s Add Civility And Civic Skills To Our Goals For The Year

Too often in recent decades our politics have been strident, polarized, coarse, even mean. Everyone in this country has a responsibility to foster a civic dialogue that respects the people with whom we disagree and that advances the interests of the nation.

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February 2, 2012

Center Ventures Into Teaching via Tablet Computers With New “Civic Quotes” Application for iPads

Now available as a free app for the iPad tablet computer, and also on the web, is Civic Quotes, a new Center on Congress resource that uses notable quotations and images to teach about American government and citizenship in an engaging, interactive way.

When introducing Civic Quotes, Center on Congress Director Lee H. Hamilton said, “It’s vital to make civics instruction interesting and relevant...

January 27, 2012

Hamilton Cites “Lack of Respect” as Problem in Today’s Politics

In an article by National Public Radio reporter Alan Greenblatt, “The Public Respects Civility, But Rewards Rudeness,” Center on Congress Director Lee Hamilton offers his thoughts on the often-coarse nature of American political discourse.

An excerpt from the article:

"Much of the politics we have today is strident and polarized and mean," says Lee Hamilton, a former Democratic...

January 25, 2012

Experts Surveyed on Congress’ Performance Give The Institution a “C-minus” for 2011

A year of pitched partisan battles in Congress earned the institution a C-minus for its performance in 2011, according to political scientists asked by the Center on Congress to grade the national legislature.

The experts surveyed “believe that excessive partisanship limits the policymaking capacity of Congress and prevents the institution from being a full partner in governing the nation,” said...

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Representative Democracy in America

Voices of the People is a national project designed to reinvigorate and educate Americans on the critical relationship between government and the people it serves.

"Representative Democracy in America is a project of the Alliance for Representative Democracy.
The alliance is funded by the US Department of Education under the Education for Democracy Act approved by the U.S. Congress. Project contents do not necessarily represent Department policy, nor should endorsements by the federal government be assumed."

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