Understanding Congress Podcast
1) What's Wrong With Congress? (with Kevin R. Kosar)
The topic of this episode is, “What’s wrong with Congress?”I can’t recall the last time I met someone who said, “Congress is doing great. The first branch of government is getting things done and play...Show More
2) What Is the Primary Problem? (with Nick Troiano)
The topic of this episode is, “What is the primary problem?”Every two years, we have congressional elections, which feature both primary elections and general elections. For nearly everyone who listen...Show More
3) What Are Congressional Norms and Why Do They Matter? (with Brian Alexander)
The topic of this episode is, “What are congressional norms and why do they matter?”To many Americans, the United States Congress appears to be a rather nasty place. There are lawmakers calling each o...Show More
What Are Congressional Norms and Why Do They Matter? (with Brian Alexander)
28:44 | Dec 8th, 2025
4) Should Congress Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution? (with Kurt Couchman)
The topic of this episode is, “Should Congress pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution?”The federal government experienced a shutdown in autumn 20025, which is one of many that have occur...Show More
5) What Are Budget Rescissions and Pocket Rescissions? (with Philip Wallach)
The topic of this episode is, what are budget rescissions and pocket rescissions?Rescissions have been in the news recently. This past July President Donald J. Trump sent the House and Senate a rescis...Show More
6) Was James Madison the First Majority Leader? (with Jay Cost)
The topic of this episode is, “Was James Madison the first majority leader?”Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have a majority leader. At the time of the recording this podcast, Republic...Show More
7) Does Congress’s Power to Declare War Mean Anything? (With Gary Schmitt)
The topic of this episode is, “Does Congress's power to declare war mean anything?”In June of 2025, President Donald J. Trump directed US aircraft to drop 30,000 pound bombs on nuclear facilities in I...Show More
8) Why Are Legislators on Social Media? (with Annelise Russell)
The topic of this episode is, Why are legislators on social media?”We’ve all seen it, and if you haven’t, well, you will soon enough. Social media posts by members of Congress. They are on Facebook, X...Show More
9) Is Congress Getting Anything Done? (with Gabe Fleisher)
The topic of this episode is, “Is Congress getting anything done?”The 119th Congress convened in early January. Months have gone by, and there are lots of things happening in Washington, DC.But is it ...Show More
10) Special Book Edition: Congressional Deliberation: Major Debates, Speeches, and Writings, 1774-2023 (with Jordan Cash)
The topic of this episode is a recent book that is titled, Congressional Deliberation: Major Debates, Speeches, and Writings 1774-2023 (Hackett 2024). The book is edited by Jordan T. Cash, a professor...Show More