Brookings
For A Research Project To Strengthen American Democracy
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Amount$750,000
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Program
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Date Awarded7/23/2013
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Term12 Months
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Type of SupportProject
Overview
The U.S. political system has become increasingly dysfunctional. Public trust in government has reached an all-time low and legislative leaders appear increasingly incapable of cohesive action. These problems are compounded by the growth in unlimited and often undisclosed campaign expenditures, a new media environment that exacerbates existing divisions, and an established media that does little to hold elected officials accountable. To help better understand and address these challenges, the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program is proposing a multi-year effort to undertake new and much-needed research, and develop a "Democracy Hub" that will connect academics, practitioners, and policymakers working to address these problems.
About the Grantee
Grantee Website
www.brookings.edu
Address
1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20036-2103, United States
Grants to this Grantee
for support of research on Congress
The Brookings Institution conducts independent, in-depth research that leads to pragmatic and innovative policy solutions. This grant enables the Brookings Governance Studies program to continue its research and analysis related to Congress and its ability to fulfill its constitutional and problem-solving responsibilities. The research team led by Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds will explore a range of congressional reforms, including ongoing efforts to modernize the House of Representatives and big-picture questions about the future of the Senate and its place in our democratic system. Other areas of focus include budget and appropriations process reform; congressional oversight; and congressional capacity, productivity, demographics, and related issues.
for research on federal government outsourcing
This grant supports a joint project between the Brookings Institution and the Niskanen Center to reevaluate federal government outsourcing from both conservative and liberal perspectives. Brookings and Niskanen will conduct transpartisan research focused on how decades-long outsourcing of federal government functions has diminished U.S. government capacity and damaged democratic governance. Previous analyses of government failures across both Republican and Democratic administrations have paid insufficient attention to how the growing gap between federal workforce and workload since 1960 has been made up largely by outside contractors, resulting in critical inadequacies in government staffing and state capacity. This study will examine problems and consequences of outsourcing, and propose practical remedies, by addressing fundamental research questions that would benefit most from even-handed approaches by both left and right.
for the Future of Democracy Project
Today’s hyperpartisan approach to politics is creating gridlock in Congress and division in the public. Political and social institutions are less and less able to function as gatekeepers and guardrails against rogue candidates and anti-social behavior. Extreme polarization makes compromising on differences and sharing the country increasingly difficult. Truth is contested ground. Facts are under attack. In a word, the United States is seeing a mounting crisis of governability. In response to these challenges, the Future of Democracy project will contribute research, writing, and recommendations on improving the governability of American society.
