By Molly E Reynolds
Congress, the first branch of government, has in addition to its legislative function the role of providing a meaningful check on executive branch power. But this power has weakened over the years for many reasons, including diminished staff resources and experience required to gather and process information, heightened partisan polarization, and increasing competition for control of the House and Senate. Molly Reynolds, a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, explains why Congress’s oversight role and authority relative to the executive has diminished, and offers reforms that would improve its capacity to address problems, enact legislation, and bolster legislative influence.
Source: The Brookings Institute
