A new book examining the erosion of congressional norms was the subject of a recent Brookings Institution online forum, with political scientists and former legislators debating how legislative customs have shifted over the past five decades.
The volume, "The Folkways of Congress: Legislating Norms in an Era of Conflict," edited by Brian Alexander, associate professor at Washington and Lee University, compiles 16 chapters by political scientists, former members of Congress and staff. The book examines topics ranging from budgeting and oversight to newsletters and Senate maiden speeches.
In his introduction, Alexander writes that while much work on congressional norms focuses on how they facilitate institutional cooperation, "norms of conflict" have become increasingly present in the twenty-first century Congress.
The authors describe a transformation from older norms of bipartisanship, forbearance, cooperation, civility and mutual respect toward what critics characterize as more adversarial dynamics. Members now trade insults in committees and wage procedural battles on the chamber floors, according to observers cited in the book.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive scholars and Democratic practitioners featured in the book argue that declining norms have undermined Congress's capacity for effective oversight and governance.
Elise J. Bean, a longtime Senate staffer for Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) who passed away last year, contributed a chapter distilling 12 norms that guided Levin in oversight investigations marked by bipartisanship, civility, reciprocity and transparency. Levin's mantra was: "You can't have good government without good oversight."
Former Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) wrote in the book that customs of inclusivity on floor amendments had significantly decayed during his later years of service, along with collegiality among members.
"While positive norms are essential to good lawmaking," Lipinski wrote, "negative norms of partisanship, tribalism and contempt for other members predominate today."
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative voices in the book contend that institutional changes reflect legitimate shifts in how the Republican Party approaches governance rather than a simple decline in civility.
Former Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) emphasized in her chapter that norms provide stability to policy making and are powerful only when broadly accepted, but argued that bills are too often crafted behind closed doors by leadership, with members given more to theatrical messaging than productive legislating.
Conservative scholars argue that some norm changes reflect responsiveness to constituent demands and evolved political strategies rather than institutional decay. The book's authors acknowledge disagreement about whether older constructive norms or newer conflictual norms now predominate in Congress.
What the Numbers Show
According to Gallup polling cited by the book, public trust in Congress remains near historic lows, with approval ratings frequently falling below 20 percent over the past decade.
The book documents that committee oversight hearings have decreased substantially compared to previous decades, with fewer bipartisan investigations conducted under both Democratic and Republican majorities.
Floor votes on substantive amendments have declined as party leaders increasingly use procedural mechanisms like rules bills to limit debate and amendment opportunities, a practice accelerated during the 2010s and continued through the current Congress.
The Bottom Line
The Brookings forum highlighted ongoing academic debate about whether congressional norms represent a temporary shift or permanent transformation of legislative culture. Political scientists with more neutral analytical positions tend to strike a balance between hope and concern for institutional futures while acknowledging observable declines in civility and bipartisan cooperation.
The book's contributors, spanning both parties, largely agree that certain positive norms still exist and enable Congress to function, though not as frequently or visibly as in previous eras. What remains unclear is whether the pendulum will swing back toward greater cooperation or if current conflictual dynamics represent a new equilibrium. Watch for future congressional budget battles and oversight hearings as indicators of which set of norms ultimately prevails.