Reforming Congress – Josh McCrain, University of Utah

January 4, 2022  

  • Video
  • 0:14– Background
  • 1:51– Motivations to study Congress
  • 2:42– Questions asked about congressional capacity
  • 4:59– Different position roles in Congress
  • 7:24– Power in legislation based on staff
  • 9:05– Expertise between committee staff/office staff
  • 10:35– Compensation/Turnover
  • 16:07– Supply of staff
  • 21:14– Roles of staffers/power of staff
  • 24:46– Should member budget be changed for capacity?
  • 27:36– HR centralization in Congress
  • 29:08– CRS and agencies
  • 31:59– Staffing by party for committees
  • 37:28– Committee investing resources in hiring experts or collect expertise from third parties
  • 41:01– News coverage of local news and its impact on legislators
    [Lightning Round]
  • 50:21– What do you think congressional representation should mean?
  • 53:12– How would your ideal Congress allocate its time?
  • 54:43– How should debate, deliberation, or dialogue occur or be structured in Congress?
  • 55:54– What fundamental institutional improvement should Congress make within 50 years?
  • 1:00:49– What book or article most shaped your thinking with respect to congressional reform?
  • 1:01:20– Long term plans