Spectrum

The consolidation of power in House of Representative leadership positions has spurred on the devolution of Congress from a “respected legislative institution to a body plagued by a win-at-all-costs mentality and a culture of perpetual campaigning,” says Donald Wolfensberger, author and scholar. Wolfensberger, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., also was a former Congressional staffer for nearly three decades. He knows the inner workings of the House and its committee structure. In his new book, “Changing Cultures in Congress: From Fair Play to Power Plays” says that leadership within the party in the majority has consolidated power and limited consideration of legislation and amendments. Wolfensberger claims that this “top-down micro-managing of the legislative process by majority leadership…has discouraged members from developing expertise and ideas to address major problems.” He also says that Representatives spend so much