ARCHIVE
Capitol Hill Workshop
The 105th Congress - Archive Edition
May 19-21, 1998
The FY98 Public Policy Seminar Series
Capitol Hill Workshop (The 105th Congress)
Representation and Policymaking in a New Political Era
Held at The Capitol Hill Club.
Congress is an institution that is ever-changing. In a landmark election in November 1994, Republicans won control of the 104th Congress and promised a "revolution" in the size and scope of government. Things did not quite work out as planned, and the revolution quickly encountered public opposition and the built-in "checks and balances" of our constitutional system.
Republicans retained control of Congress in the aftermath of the November 1996 elections and Bill Clinton returned for a second term. The leaders of our national elective branches proclaimed that the "era of big government is over," but each has their own perspective on how reinventing government and downsizing would be accomplished. In short, political and policy upheaval is the order of the day.
During this period of divided government, the Administration and Congress must deftly balance their political priorities and cautiously apportion their political capital. The 105th Congress and the White House finally agreed to a plan designed to balance the budget by 2002. It remains to be seen exactly how this will be accomplished legislatively, and what changes in national governance will result if and when the plan is enacted into law.
Under these circumstances, it is understandable that the Congress - the body most representative of the diversity and contradictions of American life - would emerge as an arena of intense and ultimately decisive debate. By 1977, the absence of a galvanizing external threat has transformed U.s. foreign policy. The Department of Defense is thus being driven to build, maintain, and justify forces in a domestic environment where traditional national security arguments no longer carry the same weight. From budget authorizations to appropriations, Congress plays, as always, a commanding role in every aspect of military life.
This behind-the-scene program will probe critical questions and problem areas. Can Congress successfully trim fat and leave muscle? What role will lobbyists, advocacy groups and the media play in this struggle? Will Congress be able to establish a legislative program that meets both the public's desire for less government and for a growing economy in which the fruits of that economy are "fairly" shared? Finally, what will be the consequences for legislation of an American public which seems, at one level, to be simultaneously both pro-entitlements and anti-deficit?
To misjudge the moods of Congress or to fail to grasp Congressional psychology can create friction and difficulty for executive personnel. It is, therefore, crucial that senior managers and federal executives possess a clear understanding of the institutional dynamics of Congress and how future legislative policies will shape and define the mission of their agency.
The Capitol Hill Workshop offers a timely, in-depth look at how these political and policy struggles will play out in Congress, and how Congress and the Administration will attempt to shape America's future direction. This workshop is designed to provide perspective and insight into the changing character of national decision-making as America looks ahead to the challenges of the 21st century.
Speakers & Topics
The Evolution of Power in Congress: Walter Oleszek, Senior Specialist in American Government, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Author of Congress and Its Members
The Battle of the Budget: Government Spending in an Era of tight Budgets: Allen Schick, visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution; Author of Congress and Money and Crisis in the Budget Process
Congress - Then and Now: Personal Reflections: Senator George McGovern, President, Middle East Policy Council; Former Senator from South Dakota and Presidential Candidate
The Changing Security Environment: New Strategic Choices for the 21st Century: Rovert S. Wood, Dean, Center for Naval Warfare Studies and Chester Nimitz Chair of Foreign Policy and National Security, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island
Whatever Happened to Term Limits and Reform - Is Congress Responsive to American Interests? Cleta Deatherage Mitchell, Director and General Counsel, Americans Back in Charge Foundation; Former Chair of the Fiscal Affairs and Oversight Committee; National Conference of State Legislatures
Guns vs. Butter - The Ongoing Congressional Debate: Domestic Issues vs. National Defense: Lawrence J. Korb, Director, Center for Public Policy Education, Brookings Institution; Former Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Reagan; Author of The Joint Chiefs of Staff: The First 25 Years
Congress and the Domestic Agenda: Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute; Frequent Political Commentator on the MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour
International Politics and Policy in a Changing World: Ambassador Edward L. Peck, former Chief of Mission, Baghdad, Iraq; Executive Secretary, American Academy of Diplomacy; President, Foreign Services International
President Clinton, Congress, and the Media: Continuity or Conflict? Eleanor Clift, Contributing Editor, Newsweek Magazine; Panelist, The McLaughlin Group; co-author, War Without Bloodshed: The Art of Politics
Reflections on Lawmaking in America: Personal Responsibility and the National Interest: Ralph Nader, Consumer Advocate and 1996 Presidential Candidate; Author of Unsafe at Any Speed and Forty Ways to Make Government Purchasing Green
The New Soviet Union: Ethnicity and Nationalism: Paul Goble, Assistant Director for Broadcasting, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Former Special Advisor on Soviet Nationality Problems and Baltic Affairs, U.S. Department of State
The Art of Lobbying Congress: Tom Korologos, President, Timmons and Company; Lobbyist for Major League Baseball, Chrysler Corporation, Union Pacific, and the National Rifle Association; Former Deputy Assistant to President Nixon for Senate Relations
Foreign Policy Challenges at Century's End: A Global Overview: Llewellyn King, Publisher and Editor, Energy Daily; White House Weekly and Defense Week; Guest Commentator, Meet the Press; Nightly Business Report
A Critique of the national Media: The Best and Worst of American Journalism: Terry Eastland, Editor Forbes Media Critic; Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center; Former Presswatch columnist, The American Spectator
A British View of the Current American Political Scene: Martin Walker, Journalist and National Commentator; U.S. Bureau Chief and Former Moscow Bureau Chief, The Guardian (London); Author of The President We Deserve -Bill Clinton: His Rise and Falls and Comebacks, and The History of the Cold War
