Columbia University
Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, specializing in American politics, and author of Filibuster: Obstruction and Lawmaking in the US Senate
PROFILE
Gregory Wawro
Guest
FROM Gregory Wawro
Which Way, L.A.?
Are Congress' Extreme Politics Eroding Our Democracy? After the 2010 midterm elections, magazine writer Robert Draper saw big change was in the wind as Republicans prepared to use their new majority in Congress as the "point of the spear" against President Barak Obama. He embedded himself on Capitol Hill and interviewed 300 people, including 50 members of Congress, some as many as 15 times. The result is the new book, Do Not Ask What Good We Do , a title taken from a discouraged Congressman in 1796. With public approval at 14 percent, is this Congress more dysfunctional than those of the past? We speak with Draper and others.
To the Point
Are Congress' Extreme Politics Eroding Our Democracy? Even some long-time Republicans are calling the current Congress the most dysfunctional since the Civil War. Public approval is 14 percent -- up from nine. What do Tea Party members have to do with it? Are they idealistic Mr. Smiths lost in Washington or another group of obedient servants to special interests? Are both parties helping plutocrats hijack the government, despite the priorities of most voters? How does this Congress compare to those of the past when it comes to addressing the urgent problems that face the American people?
Recommended
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.