Last week, experts joined National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen to consider how we can foster compromise under the Constitution and in American politics today. They also explored prominent issues in the news including whether or not to end the filibuster; if Congress might benefit from less, not more, transparency; and how to incentivize legislators to work together in a more bipartisan way. The panel featured political scientists Steven Teles of Johns Hopkins University and Sarah Binder of the George Washington University and the Brookings Institution; Daniel Stid, director of the U.S. Democracy Program at the Hewlett Foundation; and Reihan Salam, president of the Manhattan Institute.
This program was presented in partnership with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
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TRANSCRIPT
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This transcript may not be in its final form, accuracy may vary, and it may be updated or revised in the future.
PARTICIPANTS
Steven Teles is professor of political science at the Johns Hopkins University, and a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center. He is the author of several books, including (with Robert Saldin) Never Trump: The Revolt of Conservative Elites and The Captured Economy: How The Powerful Enrich Themselves, Slow Down Growth and Increase Inequality.
Sarah Binder is a professor of political science at George Washington University and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, specializing in Congress and legislative politics. She is also an associate editor of The Washington Post's Monkey Cage blog, and a former co-editor of Legislative Studies Quarterly. She is the author or editor of several books, including Minority Rights, Majority Rule: Partisanship and the Development of Congress and Stalemate: Causes and Consequences of Legislative Gridlock.
Daniel Stid directs the U.S. Democracy Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. He has previously served as a Congressional Fellow on the staff of the House Majority Leader, and is the author of The President as Statesman: Woodrow Wilson and the Constitution.
Reihan Salam is the Manhattan Institute’s fifth president. Previously, Salam served as the executive editor of National Review and as a National Review Institute Policy Fellow. Salam is also a contributing editor at The Atlantic, National Affairs, and National Review. He is the author of Melting Pot or Civil War? and the co-author, with Ross Douthat, of Grand New Party.
Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public about the U.S. Constitution. Rosen is also professor of law at The George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.
This episode was produced by Jackie McDermott, Tanaya Tauber, and Lana Ulrich. It was engineered by Greg Scheckler.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Ed. Jack Rakove, Madison: Writings
- United States Senate, History Briefing: Filibuster and Cloture
- 117th Congress, H.R.1. For the People Act of 2021
- Ed. Jane Mansbridge and Cathie Jo Martin, American Political Science Association: Task Force Report, “Negotiating Agreement in Politics"
- Steven Teles and Robert Saldin, National Affairs, “The Future is Faction”
- Steven Teles and Robert Saldin, The Niskannen Center: Policy Paper, “The Future is Faction”
- Steven Teles, The New York Times, “Our Political System Is Unfair. Liberals Need to Just Deal With It.”
- Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy and Instituut voor Publiek en Politiek, "The Dutch Political System in a Nutshell"
- Ed. Martin van Gelderen, The Dutch Revolt
- Sarah Binder, Stalemate: Causes and Consequences of Legislative Gridlock
- Sarah Binder, Politics or Principle? Filibustering in the U.S. Senate
- Sarah Binder, Minority Rights, Majority Rule: Partisanship and the Development of Congress
- Ed. Paul Quirk and Sarah Binder, Institutions of American Democracy: The Legislative Branch
- Sarah Binder, The National Constitution Center: A Madisonian Constitution for All, “Revisiting and Restoring Madison’s American Congress”
- Sarah Binder, The Washington Post: Monkey Cage, "Biden says bring back the ‘talking filibuster.’ Would that really let Senate Democrats pass bills?"
- Reihan Salam and Ross Douthat, Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream
- Reihan Salam and Rob Richie, The New York Times, “How to Make Congress Bipartisan”
- Reihan Salam, Foreign Affairs, “The Missing Middle in American Politics: How Moderate Republicans Became Extinct"
- Daniel Stid, The President as Statesman: Woodrow Wilson and the Constitution
- Ed. Ronald J. Pestritto, Woodrow Wilson: The Essential Political Writings
- Daniel Stid, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, “Watching over the bright lines of democracy
- Larry Kramer and Daniel Stid, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, “Deepening our commitment to improving U.S. democracy”
- Daniel Stid, The National Constitution Center: A Madisonian Constitution for All, “Recovering a Madisonian Congress”
- Daniel Stid, The Art of Association, "Reimagining the Light but Sturdy Ballast of the Pork Barrel"
- Susan Davis, NPR, Democrats Want To Bring Earmarks Back As Way To Break Gridlock In Congress
- William Eskridge Jr. and Neomi Rao, National Constitution Center: Interactive Constitution, "Article I Section 1: General Principles"
- Cornell Law School: Legal Information Institute, "Nondelegation Doctrine"
- Office of Senator Jeff Merkeley, "Jeff Merkeley Circulates 'Talking Filibuster' Reform Proposal"
- Mark Strand and Tim Lang, Congressional Institute, "The U.S. Senate Filibuster: Options for Reform"
- The National Constitution Center, Constitution Drafting Project
- National Conference of State Legislatures, State Primary Types
- Russell Berman, The Atlantic, "The Political-Reform Movement Scores Its Biggest Win Yet"
This episode was produced by Jackie McDermott, Lana Ulrich, Tanaya Tauber, and John Guerra. It was engineered by Greg Scheckler.
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