Julian Zelizer: It's the Institutions, Stupid!
At its halfway point, the 111th Congress is faring poorly in the court of public opinion. By November 2009, only 26 percent of Americans approved of how Congress was doing its job, according to Gallup; other polls point to similar results.
Still, there are a number of reasons why Democratic leaders should be pleased with its performance. Congress passed a $787 billion economic stimulus bill that many experts say helped stabilize the financial markets and is leading to a steady, if slow, economic recovery. Congress passed and the president signed several important pieces of legislation, including an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and a bill protecting women from workplace discrimination. The House and Senate have both passed versions of health care reform and are close to sending President Barack Obama a final bill. The House has also passed a number of bills that are awaiting action in the Senate, including ones addressing climate change and financial regulation.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has skillfully navigated divisions between moderates and liberals in her caucus and has proved a pragmatic leader willing to cut deals, compromise and use party assets and appropriations to reach the magic number of 218 votes. She does this while preserving her broader agenda, constantly seeking to find ways to make contemporary liberalism politically viable. Time magazine named her a runner-up for person of the year.
Then why are so many Democrats feeling blue? The problem is that after the 2008 election, many of Obama’s supporters were hoping for much more. They thought that, by now, Congress would have passed a larger number of the major items on the president’s agenda and that the legislation that passed would not be so watered down. Too many bills (climate change) seem to be stuck in the Senate, while others (immigration reform) are off the agenda altogether....
Reform is not impossible. During the Progressive Era, congressional reformers empowered committees, weakened the speaker of the House and passed an amendment that resulted in the direct election of senators. During the 1970s, congressional reformers weakened committee chairs, opened the legislative process to public scrutiny, created new ethics rules and campaign finance regulations and lowered the number of members needed to end a filibuster.
Unless Democrats take on the ways in which Congress works, the political playing field will remain as treacherous as it was in 2009. Legislators with the best of intentions and the greatest of skills will still face the institutional pressures that bore down on them throughout Obama’s first term. In turn, the president will find that the possibility for bold change will remain slim.
Read entire article at Politico
Still, there are a number of reasons why Democratic leaders should be pleased with its performance. Congress passed a $787 billion economic stimulus bill that many experts say helped stabilize the financial markets and is leading to a steady, if slow, economic recovery. Congress passed and the president signed several important pieces of legislation, including an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and a bill protecting women from workplace discrimination. The House and Senate have both passed versions of health care reform and are close to sending President Barack Obama a final bill. The House has also passed a number of bills that are awaiting action in the Senate, including ones addressing climate change and financial regulation.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has skillfully navigated divisions between moderates and liberals in her caucus and has proved a pragmatic leader willing to cut deals, compromise and use party assets and appropriations to reach the magic number of 218 votes. She does this while preserving her broader agenda, constantly seeking to find ways to make contemporary liberalism politically viable. Time magazine named her a runner-up for person of the year.
Then why are so many Democrats feeling blue? The problem is that after the 2008 election, many of Obama’s supporters were hoping for much more. They thought that, by now, Congress would have passed a larger number of the major items on the president’s agenda and that the legislation that passed would not be so watered down. Too many bills (climate change) seem to be stuck in the Senate, while others (immigration reform) are off the agenda altogether....
Reform is not impossible. During the Progressive Era, congressional reformers empowered committees, weakened the speaker of the House and passed an amendment that resulted in the direct election of senators. During the 1970s, congressional reformers weakened committee chairs, opened the legislative process to public scrutiny, created new ethics rules and campaign finance regulations and lowered the number of members needed to end a filibuster.
Unless Democrats take on the ways in which Congress works, the political playing field will remain as treacherous as it was in 2009. Legislators with the best of intentions and the greatest of skills will still face the institutional pressures that bore down on them throughout Obama’s first term. In turn, the president will find that the possibility for bold change will remain slim.