Kathy Goldschmidt, State of the Congress 2024: An Assessment of the Civility, Functionality, and Capacity of the 118th Congress by Senior Congressional Staff, Congressional Management Foundation, March 27, 2024.
The Congressional Management Foundation’s State of the Congress 2024, based on a survey of 138 senior House and Senate staffers (55% with more than 10 years of experience and 74% in senior leadership roles), aims to aims to “identify, benchmark, measure, and discuss the non-political institutional issues Congress faces.” The survey conducted for the report only had a response rate of 5% (138 out of over 2,700 senior staffers).
The report finds most senior staffers believe Congress is “not functioning as it should.” Staffers acknowledge improvements in capacity and infrastructure, but feel Congress still requires further progress. They also report feeling anxiety about personal, colleague, and Member safety, and believe “polarization and rhetoric” are making Congressional work more difficult, leading some to consider leaving their roles. While staff are recognized as essential to Congress’s effectiveness, many exhibit signs that could lead to burnout. Opinions on accountability and public accessibility are mixed, though there is widespread consensus that both are key components of congressional functionality. Overall, the survey’s findings portray a Congress facing challenges due to polarization and staff strain, but one where increased investment in capacity, infrastructure, and staff resources, combined with an emphasis on civility, could strengthen institutional performance.
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