This episode of China Talk explores the past, present, and future of Congress with AEI's Philip Wallach. We get into:
- Origins of representative government trace back to medieval England, when the king consulted regional advisors – leading to development of Parliament
- Founders inspired by this model when establishing Congress, wanting representation for diverse parts of young U.S.
- But competing visions emerged for how Congress should work:
- Madison's view: embrace factional conflict and compromise
- Wilson's view: stronger centralized leadership
- These tensions played out through different eras of Congress:
- Early years: backlash against Hamilton’s Treasury power leads to first political party
- New Deal/WWII: Congress oversees executive branch while enabling key programs
- Civil rights era: Senate leaders allow extended filibuster, focus national attention, build enduring coalition
- 1970s reforms decentralize Congress but decrease cooperation between members over time
- Under 1994 Gingrich revolution, partisan centralization becomes norm – embraced by both parties
- Potential futures discussed, including a fever dream of Philip's where an immigration crisis actually prompts real lawmaking.
Outtro music: Nixon's 1972 campaign song
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