U.S. Congress — Bunk History

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Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall; painting by Henry Inman, 1832.

Hail to the Chief

“John Marshall...exhibited a subservience to the executive branch that continues to haunt us.”

by Jed S. Rakoff via New York Review of Books on November 22, 2018

A 1985 Recount Is Suddenly Relevant Again

In the fight over Indiana’s Bloody Eighth, Democrats won the seat, but lost the larger narrative.

by Julian E. Zelizer via The Atlantic on November 12, 2018

The First Midterm ‘Wave’ Election That Ended Total Republican Control of Government

In 1874, Democrats picked up an astounding 94 seats in the 293-seat House.

by Robert B. Mitchell via Retropolis on November 4, 2018

America Descends Into the Politics of Rage

Trump and other peddlers of angry rhetoric may reap short-term gains, but history suggests they will provoke a fearsome backlash.

by Joanne B. Freeman via The Atlantic on October 22, 2018

Electing the House of Representatives

A series of interactive maps showing the results of nearly two centuries of congressional elections.

by Robert K. Nelson, LaDale Winling via American Panorama on October 15, 2018

Henry Kissinger and Otis Pike shaking hands.

How Partisanship and Distrust Leave Congress Vulnerable to Hacking

Congress isn't safe from foreign interference. It never has been.

by KC Johnson via Made By History on October 2, 2018

Kevin Kruse vs. Dinesh D'Souza: Dixiecrat Edition

A conservative pundit questioned the prevalence of Dixiecrats switching to the GOP. Historian Kevin Kruse accepted the challenge.

by Kevin M. Kruse via Twitter on July 2, 2018

This Map Shows When Each State Elected a Woman to Congress

Women could make history this year — but there's still a long way to go before there's equal representation.

by David Johnson via TIME on June 25, 2018

She Dared to Be Herself: Shirley Chisholm’s Legacy

She is remembered for being a "first," but it was her integrity, courageousness, and conviction that made her an icon.

by Shannon Wright, Whit Taylor via The Nib on June 18, 2018

Donald Trump holding up a bill he signed.

Ceding Power to the Executive is Backfiring on Free-Trade Advocates

Liberal Democrats sidestepped Congress to bring free trade to the U.S. Now, Trump is able to do the same thing to destroy it.

by Jennifer Delton via Made By History on June 7, 2018

U.S. Population Is Growing, But the House of Representatives Is Same Size as in Taft Era

How representative is the U.S. House of Representatives?

by Drew DeSilver via Pew Research Center on May 31, 2018

Full Employment and Freedom

The fight for a full employment bill forty years ago offers lessons for supporters of a job guarantee today.

by David Stein via Jacobin on May 25, 2018

Putin and Trump.

The Secret Life of Statutes: A Century of the Trading with the Enemy Act

What began as an effort to define and punish trading with the enemy has transformed into economic warfare.

by Benjamin Coates via Modern American History on May 16, 2018

An Unlikely Hardliner, George H. W. Bush Was Ready to Push Presidential Powers

Though he ended up seeking congressional approval for the Gulf War, Bush was unconvinced he needed it – saying he would have gone regardless of the vote.

by Kate Keller via Smithsonian on May 14, 2018

Taft and Trump

Much more than time separates the 27th president from the 45th.

by Jeffrey Rosen via The Atlantic on March 19, 2018

Congress Handed to the President the Power to Level Tariffs

A republic needs a legislature that can handle such tasks. We don’t have one.

by Jay Cost via National Review on March 5, 2018

Lyndon Johnson with advisors including Robert McNamara and Dean Rusk.

It’s Time for Congress to Wrest Its War-Making Authority Back From the President

If the U.S. government is going to wage unending war, it should at least get the public on its side.

by Marc J. Selverstone via Made By History on February 23, 2018

1972 Shirley Chisolm campaign poster.

‘Unbought and Unbossed’: Shirley Chisholm’s Feminist Mantra Is Still Relevant 50 Years Later

Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, constantly defied those who tried to constrain her due to race and gender.

by Ed Morales via Washington Post on January 26, 2018

The Fight Over Andrew Johnson's Impeachment Was a Fight for the Future of the United States

The biggest show in Washington 150 years ago was the trial against the President of the United States.

by Annette Gordon-Reed via Smithsonian on January 1, 2018

Mapping the First Decade of Congressional Elections

Using maps to visualize the first five U.S. Congressional elections.

by Sheila Brennan via Mapping Early American Elections on December 13, 2017

Chuck Schumer talks with a staffer in shadow beneath the seal of the U.S. Senate.

Secrecy in the Senate

To the framers, working in secret was meant to deliver enlightened legislation.

by Katlyn Marie Carter via Made By History on December 12, 2017

For Republicans, an Unpopular Tax Cut May Be Better Than Nothing – But Still Not Enough

In 1948, the GOP passed the third biggest tax cut in U.S. history. In the next election, they learned the devil is in the details.

by Joseph J. Thorndike via Tax Analysts on November 30, 2017

Donald Trump, Swamp Creature

Embracing the swamp won't sink Trump immediately. But it will sink him eventually.

by Robert B. Mitchell via Made By History on October 27, 2017

Pile of guns.

When It Comes To Guns, Congress Has Always Been in the Pocket of Profit Chasers

How profit motives have driven two centuries of American gun laws.

by Gautham Rao via Made By History on October 4, 2017

Barbara Lee speaking at a House of Representatives podium.

The Origin of Endless War

On Barbara Lee and the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force.

by Richard Beck via n+1 on August 11, 2017

Putin and Trump.

How a WWI-era Law Set the Stage for the Trump-Russia Controversy

And why Congress should do more to wrest back control of economic sanctions.

by Benjamin Coates via Made By History on July 31, 2017

On Health Care, History is Watching. And it’s Watching Four Senators in Particular.

We should not be surprised by the attacks on Obamacare, they are, in fact, the typical response to social reform.

by E. J. Dionne Jr. via Washington Post on July 16, 2017

Mitch McConnell

Partisanship is an American Tradition — And Good for Democracy

Bipartisanship is the exception, not the rule.

by Aaron Astor via Made By History on July 12, 2017

James Comey taking an oath.

The Greatest Hearings in American History

James Comey’s testimony joins the pantheon of dramatic congressional moments.

by Joshua Zeitz via Politico Magazine on June 7, 2017

Why Did U.S. Postmasters Once Have So Much Political Cachet?

Bureaucracy used to work through patronage, an informal system of job-distribution by the party in power. Why did it change?

by Matthew Wills, Samuel Kernell, Michael P. McDonald via JSTOR Daily on May 24, 2017

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