Posts Tagged with
Center for Effective Lawmaking

The Capitol

Reps. Gerald Connolly, D-VA, and Don Bacon, R-NE, and Sens. Gary Peters, D-MI, and John Cornyn, R-TX, top their respective lists of the most effective Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the recently completed 117th Congress (2021–23), according to the latest round of legislative effectiveness scores compiled by the Center for Effective Lawmaking released March 20.

Among the freshman members who attended elite colleges, five hold degrees from Harvard University. (Image Janniswerner/IStock Editorial via Getty Images)

How often are the educational backgrounds of Congressional legislators and candidates vetted, and how much do degrees matter? Craig Volden, Batten School professor and co-director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, talked with USA Today about Congress members’ educational backgrounds and how a degree correlates to effectiveness as a legislator. 

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) leaves a closed-door GOP caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol January 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Image Drew Angerer via Getty Images) 

Facing investigations after lying about whether he graduated college, worked on Wall Street, founded a charity, owned rental property, and descended from Holocaust survivors, Republican Rep. George Santos of New York may find it more difficult than the typical freshman lawmaker to deliver results.  

Craig Volden Showcase

In this lecture, professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Co-Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, Craig Volden, shares data-driven insights on how to Build a Better Congress.

Craig Volden, Co-Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking and professor at the Batten School, will join state lawmakers identified by independent observers as exceptional political leaders and leaders of nonprofits dedicated to supporting better political leadership in the U.S. to reflect on the issues at stake for our democracy.

Ukrainian Parliament

Batten School Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, Craig Volden, met with a delegation from the Ukrainian Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, in early September to discuss lawmaking effectiveness.

Photo of Capitol

Substantial evidence exists that members of the US Congress vary in their lawmaking effectiveness. Less known, however, is whether constituents are sufficiently informed and inclined to hold their representatives accountable, based on their effectiveness.

Stennis Fellow Event UVA 2022

Join twenty senior congressional staffers for a reception. The Batten School and the Center for Effective Lawmaking are honored to host this event welcoming the 117th Stennis Fellows Program to the University of Virginia.

US Capitol

Craig Volden, professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Co-Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, writes in The Conversation that there are ways to get things done under the U.S. Capitol dome.

CEL The Hill

In an article for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and co-author Alan E. Wiseman write that Representatives and Senators who engage constituents through town halls can enhance their lawmaking effectiveness in Congress.