Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1100404
ANNUAL AUGUST BROWN BAG SERIES T his year's annual August lecture series bled into September and drew large crowds; as a whole, speakers focused on more recent congressional histo- ry, oen through a political science lens, and on issues related to congressional capacity, which is the ability of the institution to function. e John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Con- gress co-sponsored the first two talks, which were held in beautiful spaces in the Library of Congress Jeffer- son Building. Matthew Green* (Catholic University) opened the series with a look at House leadership races, including examples from 1965 and 1973. Green returns to USCHS on March 10 with co-author Douglas Harris to talk more about their archival research and work examining leadership races. Next, Colleen Shogan* (Library of Congress) and Jacob Straus* (Congres- sional Research Service) dove into their work on how social media platforms have changed how Members of Congress understand their roles and interact with the public. ey posited a new model for congressional rep- resentation—interactive representation—that includes continued interactive communication between voters and Members throughout the term. Seth Masket* (University of Denver and the 2018 Kluge Chair in American Law and Governance) spoke about his research on the Democratic Party's response to the 2016 election, which looks at ways that a narrative about the election may emerge and influence changes the party makes in areas such as delegate selection rules. Laura Blessing* (Georgetown Uni- versity) examined some of the effects of the 2011 ear- marks ban on Congress, including how the change has contributed to dysfunction within the institution. For example, leadership now has fewer tools with which to keep party members in the fold. Kristina Miler (University of Maryland) drew on research for her recent book to explore how the behavior of House members since the 1980s does and doesn't address poverty and the poor; for instance, a tiny percentage of laws in the last 50 years focus on pov- erty or related topics, but a few Members consistently introduce such legislation in Congress aer Congress. Kevin Kosar* (R Street Institute and Legislative Branch Capacity Working Group) concluded the series with an examination of congressional staff members, especially the rise and fall in the overall number of staff through Congress' history and the effects of those changes on congressional capacity. *C-SPAN recorded most of the August lectures, which are now available at c-span.org. Search for the speaker's name, or try "Capitol Historical Society" to find all of our events on C-SPAN! USCHS HOSTS "CONGRESS AND THE SEPARATION OF POWERS" FORUM O n Tuesday, 25 September 2018, the United States Capitol Historical Society in partnership with the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center presented "Congress and the Separation of Powers: Audacious Vision, Uneven History, and Uncertain Future," a forum organized by the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University. e panel discussions brought together an ideologically diverse group of academics and experts to take a closer look at the relationship between the three branches of government, and in par- ticular the role of the Congress, in shaping the executive and judicial branches over time. Nearly 200 people attended the day's discussions. Beth Plemmons, CEO of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, and Connie Tipton, vice-chair of the USCHS board of trustees, gave opening remarks. Dr. David Barker, director of the Center for Congressional and THE CAPITOL DOME 61 FORUMS AND LECTURES Colleen Shogan and Jacob Straus take questions aer their presentation at the Library of Congress.