Governance

These days, it’s almost a given that Congress is in a state of dysfunction, that lawmakers can’t seem to work together, and that politics outweighs getting things done for the American people. But it hasn’t always been this way, and it doesn’t have to be now, either. BPC’s Congress Project holds the legislative branch accountable by tracking the functioning of Congress  through the Healthy Congress Index and strives to build better relationships between lawmakers of different parties through the American Congressional Exchange. Our proposals for congressional reform are based on both data on how Congress operates and the experiences of current and former lawmakers.

Free and fair elections are critical to the health of democracy, and voting is the most important expression of a citizen’s democratic rights. We explore and analyze the entire election ecosystem, from voter registration to casting a ballot to the counting and finalizing of results. Our goal is to help policymakers enact sustainable bipartisan policy reforms, informed by election officials, that improve the voting experience for a diverse electorate.

Governmental Studies addresses long-term and large structural issues in American politics. Technology and politics, the Electoral College, how recounts, election disputes, and other disagreements about elections might be resolved, presidential succession, and continuity of government.