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Civic Knowledge and Skills That We All Need to Constructively Handle Intractable Conflict >
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Using Fair Processes to Make Decisions When When Win-Lose Choices Are Unavoidable
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BI Article
Do You Want the U.S. Government to Work? Read This! And Then Do This!
A description of the House Administration's Subcommittee on Modernization, and its predecessor, the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, and a plea for everyone to lobby for its continuation in the incoming Congress.
BI Article
Representative Derek Kilmer on the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress and De-polarization
Guy and Heidi Burgess talked with Rep. Derek Kilmer on how to break down polarization in Congress and in society in order to actually solve problems collaboratively. There is much to learn and copy here!
News and Opinion
Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, 116-117th Congress
This truly bipartisan committee was tasked to investigate, study, make findings, hold public hearings, and develop recommendations to make Congress more effective, efficient, and transparent.
BI Article
Summary of "A Tribute to the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, the 2023 Sander Award Winner"
The House Select Committee on Modernization of Congress is an exemplar for what is possible through working together differently---through improved communication, better understanding, and innovative dispute resolution.
BI Audio/Video
Representative Derek Kilmer on the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress and De-polarization More Broadly
Related Folders
Legislative Processes
Legislative processes are problematic when they use procedures which may be technically legal, but "smell bad" -- such as the provision that allows just one senator to block a bill from passage.
Colleague Activities
From Resistance to Resilience: A Guide for Organizing Civil Society Field Hearings
This guide provides a practical approach to addressing concerns about presidential overreach by using Civil Society [Congressional] Field Hearings to harness shared intelligence with democratic participation, strengthen oversight, and create a public record that holds elected leaders accountable.
News and Opinion
A Functional Congress? Yes.
Amid today's political fury, a surprising observation -- the 117th Congress has actually been remarkably functional (often in a bipartisan way).
News and Opinion
Secret Congress delivers more good news on clean water
For a media environment dominated by stories of political dysfunction, a good news account of how (with bipartisan support) we have been making major strides toward reducing water pollution.
News and Opinion
A Radical Idea for Fixing Congress: Proportional Representation
An idea for restructuring Congress in ways that replace the current, usually noncompetitive "winner take all" system with real choices that help assure that minority views are represented.
News and Opinion
How the Supreme Court can limit Congress's taste for self-diminishment
An analysis of a Supreme Court case that could help force Congress to do a better job of fulfilling its Constitutional responsibilities.
News and Opinion
Congress Got More Done When the Greatest Generation Ran It
An exploration of the way in which the "greatest" (World War II) generation approached political issues and an argument that they did a better job of making democracy work.
News and Opinion
What's Wrong With Congress (And How to Fix It)
An example of the kind of constructive problem-solving that can, over time, help restore the public's trust in its government.
News and Opinion
What if Congress had more than two parties? Proportional representation could create a more functional Congress. A new report outlines how and why it just might work.
A provocative idea for reforming the U.S. Congress in ways that supporters believe would help defuse hyper-polarization by making Congress more like a parliament.
News and Opinion
Make Congress Great Again
For those who might share the public's generally low opinion of Congress, ideas for improving Congress in ways that would allow it to earn back the trust that has been lost.