Inside Congressional Committees: Function and Dysfunction in the Legislative Process

by Maya Kornberg

It is widely believed that Congress has broken down. Media accounts present the storied legislature as thoroughly gridlocked, paralyzed by partisan rancor. Political scientists find that Congress is passing fewer laws and spending less time on legislative work. Which parts of a supposedly dysfunctional legislature continue to function?

Maya L. Kornberg examines the legislative process beyond voting patterns, emphasizing the crucial role of congressional committee hearings. In committees, lawmakers hear from expert witnesses, legislators revise and discuss bills before bringing them to a vote, and the public has an opportunity to engage with Congress. Kornberg scrutinizes the inner workings of committees—the different types of witnesses who testify, the varied hearings Congress holds, and the distinct effects that committee work has on congresspeople. She deploys original mixed-methods datasets that span from insider interviews to sentiment analysis examining the language used in hearings. Kornberg evaluates how committees operate and the conditions affecting their performance, finding that committee work can be more deliberative and productive than the politics of the Congress floor.

Through a comprehensive exploration of who committees hear from and how they listen, this book demonstrates that Congress is not as dysfunctional as is often claimed. Inside Congressional Committees also suggests timely reforms based on these findings that can strengthen Congress.

Genres: Politics

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2023

Reviews

[Kevin Kosar]

Dr. Maya Kornberg has written a fine book that explains the centrality of committees to policymaking and oversight. She explains their functions, operations, and their virtues and vices in the Congress of today.

You can listen to my 20-minute interview with Dr. Kornberg at https://www.aei.org/podcast/what-do-c... and you can watch my hour-long disucssion with her at https://www.c-span.org/video/?525313-...

[Mark Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

A crystal-clear description of congressional committees and how they operate today. Dr. Kornberg presents an all-encompassing look into the most essential part of our democracy, using clear examples and an incredibly thorough methodology. I would recommend for anyone looking to take a closer look at how things really work.

[Jesse Meyerson · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a lot of interesting history and background, but the book is padded out with constant regurgitation of her methodology and each chapter rehashes the whole book’s structure. It’s not a pure history or explainer nor is it call for reform, though sometimes it suggests it. Worth a pick up but does not reward you for reading all the way through.