About News News Subscribe Democracy Leadership Domestic Policy & Politics Education Ethics Research and Commentary Crime and Justice Environmental Policy Global Politics & International Relations International and Global Affairs Racial Justice and Equity (-) Political Science Facet Area of Focus - News John Holbein Raymond C. Scheppach Jennifer Lawless Andrew S. Pennock Brian N. Williams David Leblang Frederick P. Hitz Gabrielle Adams Margaret Foster Riley Peter Johannessen Steve Hiss Todd S. Sechser Xiao Wang (-) Craig Volden (-) Gerald Warburg Facet People - News Center for Effective Lawmaking Miller Center Facet UVA Partner - News Research and Commentary Accolades Faculty In Action Facet News Type - News Jun 10, 2024 How Effective are America’s State Legislators? Domestic Policy & Politics Political Science The Center for Effective Lawmaking has compiled a massive database to measure the effectiveness of nearly every state legislator in the U.S. Based on the center's trusted methodology developed a decade ago to rank the effectiveness of members of Congress, the project is the first to collect this kind of data at the state level in a comprehensive fashion. Learn more Nov 29, 2022 Nancy Pelosi Was the Key Democratic Messenger of Her Generation. Passing the Torch Will Empower Younger Leadership Domestic Policy & Politics Political Science Batten School professor Gerald Warburg, in a piece written for The Conversation, states that Nancy Pelosi's stepping aside will leave the door open for others. Learn more Jul 08, 2022 Volden Wins Honor for Paper That Highlights How Women Policymakers Thrive Political Science Batten's Craig Volden and co-author Rachel Augustine Potter were recognized for their research exploring the effectiveness of female agency leaders. They discuss the "glass walls" effect and the potential implications of their findings. Learn more May 24, 2022 To Run or Not to Run? Not Enough Women Consider Political Office in the First Place. Domestic Policy & Politics Political Science Racial Justice and Equity A new report by Batten School Professor Jennifer Lawless highlights the gender gap in political ambition. The research declares that “politics remains a game for men.” Learn more Winter 2021 Restoring the Balance Political Science Global Politics & International Relations International and Global Affairs How can Congress reclaim its constitutional authority to shape foreign policy? Gerald Warburg, Batten professor of practice of public policy, offers insight in an article in the Wilson Quarterly. Read in Wilson Quarterly Jun 17, 2021 Faculty Spotlight: Improving the Way We Make Laws, with Science Political Science Batten Professor Craig Volden no longer designs spacecraft—instead, he’s engineering a metric to combat political gridlock. Learn more Jun 07, 2021 Volden: Experienced Staff Promote Effective Lawmaking Political Science According to research from Batten's Center for Effective Lawmaking, retaining experienced legislative staff is crucial to Congress doing its job better. In an op-ed for The Hill, center co-directors Craig Volden and Alan E. Wiseman say that when it comes to congressional staff, we get what we pay for. Read in The Hill Mar 25, 2021 Volden: Committee Chairs Continue Their Lawmaking Decline Political Science Leadership Committee chairs have long been considered power brokers for lawmaking, but according to research from the Center for Effective Lawmaking, their lawmaking effectiveness is diminishing. In an op-ed for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and Vanderbilt University's Alan E. Wiseman write about the trend. Read in The Hill Mar 17, 2021 The “Do-Something” Members of the 116th Congress: Legislative Effectiveness Study from the Batten School and Vanderbilt University Identifies Member Success in Advancing Bills Political Science Leadership Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., along with Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and retired Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., were the most effective Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the recently completed 116th Congress (2019–20), according to new research from Batten's Center for Effective Lawmaking. Learn more March 10, 2021 Warburg Speaks on Congress and Foreign Policy as 'Top of Mind' Podcast Guest Democracy Political Science America cannot go to war unless Congress authorizes it, but Congress has rarely taken a vote to start and end a war. On Julie Rose's "Top of Mind," Batten professor Gerry Warburg explores why Congress leaves it to presidents to expand America's global conflicts. Learn more Dec 07, 2020 Focus on Cabinet Nominees' Effectiveness and Expertise, Not Just Ideology Political Science Leadership As President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees have been named, much of the discussion has been about their ideological leanings. In an article for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and Vanderbilt University's Alan E. Wiseman, co-directors of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, outline why these ideological discussions are too narrow a focus. Read In The Hill Nov 06, 2020 Batten Faculty Provide Commentary on Election Results Democracy Political Science In commentary compiled by the Miller Center, Batten Professors Jennifer Lawless, Margaret Foster Riley, Todd Sechser, and Craig Volden weigh in on the 2020 election, offering updates on the latest developments. Full Commentary from UVA's Miller Center Pagination Current page 1 Page 2 Next page Next › Stay Up To Date with the Latest Batten News and Events Subscribe
Jun 10, 2024 How Effective are America’s State Legislators? Domestic Policy & Politics Political Science The Center for Effective Lawmaking has compiled a massive database to measure the effectiveness of nearly every state legislator in the U.S. Based on the center's trusted methodology developed a decade ago to rank the effectiveness of members of Congress, the project is the first to collect this kind of data at the state level in a comprehensive fashion. Learn more
Nov 29, 2022 Nancy Pelosi Was the Key Democratic Messenger of Her Generation. Passing the Torch Will Empower Younger Leadership Domestic Policy & Politics Political Science Batten School professor Gerald Warburg, in a piece written for The Conversation, states that Nancy Pelosi's stepping aside will leave the door open for others. Learn more
Jul 08, 2022 Volden Wins Honor for Paper That Highlights How Women Policymakers Thrive Political Science Batten's Craig Volden and co-author Rachel Augustine Potter were recognized for their research exploring the effectiveness of female agency leaders. They discuss the "glass walls" effect and the potential implications of their findings. Learn more
May 24, 2022 To Run or Not to Run? Not Enough Women Consider Political Office in the First Place. Domestic Policy & Politics Political Science Racial Justice and Equity A new report by Batten School Professor Jennifer Lawless highlights the gender gap in political ambition. The research declares that “politics remains a game for men.” Learn more
Winter 2021 Restoring the Balance Political Science Global Politics & International Relations International and Global Affairs How can Congress reclaim its constitutional authority to shape foreign policy? Gerald Warburg, Batten professor of practice of public policy, offers insight in an article in the Wilson Quarterly. Read in Wilson Quarterly
Jun 17, 2021 Faculty Spotlight: Improving the Way We Make Laws, with Science Political Science Batten Professor Craig Volden no longer designs spacecraft—instead, he’s engineering a metric to combat political gridlock. Learn more
Jun 07, 2021 Volden: Experienced Staff Promote Effective Lawmaking Political Science According to research from Batten's Center for Effective Lawmaking, retaining experienced legislative staff is crucial to Congress doing its job better. In an op-ed for The Hill, center co-directors Craig Volden and Alan E. Wiseman say that when it comes to congressional staff, we get what we pay for. Read in The Hill
Mar 25, 2021 Volden: Committee Chairs Continue Their Lawmaking Decline Political Science Leadership Committee chairs have long been considered power brokers for lawmaking, but according to research from the Center for Effective Lawmaking, their lawmaking effectiveness is diminishing. In an op-ed for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and Vanderbilt University's Alan E. Wiseman write about the trend. Read in The Hill
Mar 17, 2021 The “Do-Something” Members of the 116th Congress: Legislative Effectiveness Study from the Batten School and Vanderbilt University Identifies Member Success in Advancing Bills Political Science Leadership Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., along with Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and retired Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., were the most effective Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the recently completed 116th Congress (2019–20), according to new research from Batten's Center for Effective Lawmaking. Learn more
March 10, 2021 Warburg Speaks on Congress and Foreign Policy as 'Top of Mind' Podcast Guest Democracy Political Science America cannot go to war unless Congress authorizes it, but Congress has rarely taken a vote to start and end a war. On Julie Rose's "Top of Mind," Batten professor Gerry Warburg explores why Congress leaves it to presidents to expand America's global conflicts. Learn more
Dec 07, 2020 Focus on Cabinet Nominees' Effectiveness and Expertise, Not Just Ideology Political Science Leadership As President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees have been named, much of the discussion has been about their ideological leanings. In an article for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and Vanderbilt University's Alan E. Wiseman, co-directors of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, outline why these ideological discussions are too narrow a focus. Read In The Hill
Nov 06, 2020 Batten Faculty Provide Commentary on Election Results Democracy Political Science In commentary compiled by the Miller Center, Batten Professors Jennifer Lawless, Margaret Foster Riley, Todd Sechser, and Craig Volden weigh in on the 2020 election, offering updates on the latest developments. Full Commentary from UVA's Miller Center