Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies

American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (CCPS) serves scholars, students, policymakers and the public by propelling actionable research, providing public education and promoting a more reasonable democratic square.

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Kerwin Hall on a map

Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 United States

Effective Lawmaking in a Polarized Congress

On November 10 at 6:00 pm, Vanderbilt Political Science Professor Alan Wiseman will deliver the 2026 Barbara Sinclair lecture, an annual event honoring the late political scientist who was a renowned expert on Congress. Wiseman's research agenda addresses the impact of political institutions on political actors' behavior and strategies, focusing substantively on legislative, electoral, and bureaucratic and regulatory politics in the U.S.
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Inside Congress from 2 Former Chiefs

On November 17 at 6:30 pm, CCPS Dialogues on Democracy brings you a conversation with Speaker Nancy Pelosi's former Chief of Staff John Lawrence and Speaker Kevin McCarthy's former Chief of Staff Dan Meyer. SIS Founder's Room.
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New Congress to Address Affordability, Other Issues

On Facing the Future podcast, Capitol Hill budget experts Bill Hoagland of the Bipartisan Policy Center and CCPS Director Tom Kahn joined Concord Coalition executive director Dr. Carolyn Bourdeaux and host Bob Bixby to discuss how the Democrats’ major victories in the midterm congressional elections could affect the budget and the economy.
Listen to the Podcast

Celebrating Bi-Partisan Legislators

Now through December 15, nominations will be accepted for the 2027 Madison Prize recognizing one member of the 119th Congress from each major political party who best exemplifies respect for the institutional values of Congress and the need for compromise in a democratic society.
Submit Nominations

Register for Ethics Workshop

Every Spring, CCPS and the Bryce Harlow Foundation jointly sponsor the Bryce Harlow Workshop on Ethics & Lobbying. Registration is now open for this unique 1-credit workshop and optional essay contest. GOVT-524-002 will meet on Saturday, January 23 and Saturday, February 6 from 9 am-5 pm.

Hybrid Schedule for CCPS Intensives

Undergraduate and grad students, as well as professionals, can register for two CCPS intensive institutes running in Wintersession 2027. Expand 'Institutes' on the left menu to learn more about the Public Affairs & Advocacy Institute (PAAI) led by Laura Uttley and the Campaign Management Institute (CMI) led by Quentin Fulks.
Watch the Info Session

Call for Papers: Trump and Congress

Since his first election to the presidency in November 2016, Donald Trump has made his mark on the relationship between the legislative and executive branches, creating both new challenges and new opportunities for both branches. In this call for papers, Jeff Crouch and Matthew Green, co-editors of Congress & the Presidency, invite scholars of Congress, the presidency, or both to contribute original papers to a special issue that explore various ways the Trump presidency has changed — or not changed — the legislative-executive dynamic. Themes could include, but are not limited to: the expansion of executive power at the expense of Congress; the ways Congress has checked presidential authority; national policy-making and legislative productivity under President Trump; the extent to which individual rank-and-file members, caucuses, and/or leaders have been able to advance their own objectives since Trump's election; and the relationship between Trump and congressional polarization. The deadline for submission is December 31, 2026.
View Submission Guidelines

Civic Engagement Tool Shows Congress at Work

With only one-week left before the mid-term elections, visit Congress On Demand to access the floor speeches of every member of Congress running for the U.S. Senate in 2026. This includes 22 incumbent Senators—13 Republicans and 9 Democrats—as well as eight House members who have won their parties’ Senate nominations. Created and executed by CCPS Faculty Fellow Eve Silberberg, Congress On Demand is designed as a civic-engagement tool for politically disengaged citizens, political hobbyists, journalists and local newsrooms, students, and educators. In an era of disinformation, citizens can go beyond news coverage and social media to see for yourself how well they represent you.

Grad Student Fellowship in GR/Lobbying

For over 40 years, the Bryce Harlow Foundation has awarded fellowships to highly motivated students in pursuit of a career in professional advocacy through government relations and lobbying. Fellowships are awarded to individuals who work full-time and undertake graduate level studies on at least a part-time basis. Graduate programs may include, but are not limited to, public policy, law, and business. in 2026, the award was $9.000. In addition to the monetary award, fellows also have a unique opportunity to participate in the Bryce Harlow Foundation Mentoring Program. The application for Fall 2027 Fellows will open in mid-January 2027.
Learn More

Seeking submissions for Congress & the Presidency Journal

Congress & the Presidency journal is actively seeking new research article submissions that aim to broaden perspectives on the executive and legislative branches. We're committed to broadly studying American governance and want to help shape a more inclusive future of research. Visit Congress & the Presidency for more information and to submit research articles for potential peer review.

American University School of Public Affairs

CCPS: Dialogues on Democracy

The Center for Congressional Presidential Studies is proud to announce, and very grateful to receive, a generous gift from Distinguished University Emeritus Professor Jim Thurber and his wife Claudia. Their gift funds the Center’s Dialogues on Democracy, an ongoing series of conversations with prominent thought leaders about how to strengthen democracy in the US and abroad. Since 2021, the Dialogues have featured elected officals, legislators, prominent thought leaders, social scientists, authors and journalists. CCPS thanks the Thurbers for their benevolence, vision, and public-spiritedness.

Videos in this playlist

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Five Questions with Thomas Kahn

Setting Limits on Presidential Power Under the Trump Administration

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Populists, Plutocrats and the Dangers to Democracy

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Is U.S. Democracy Really at Risk? A Framework for Assessing Threats

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