Dr. Maya Kornberg: Stuck—How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress

Dr. Maya Kornberg: Stuck—How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress

From Commonwealth Club of California Podcast by Commonwealth Club of California

April 22, 2026 · 1h 5m

About this episode

Dr. Maya Kornberg discusses the challenges Congress faces in enacting change due to various systemic issues.

Congress has long been a punching bag for American dissatisfaction with their government or with the direction of the country. But its unpopularity keeps plumbing new depths, even as the major party polarization has strengthened. In short, Congress—the central democratic institution in the country—is hanging on by a thread. But its biggest liability might be its inability to reform itself. Maya Kornberg, a senior research fellow at the Brennan Center’s Elections and Government Program, has explored the ways that Congress has become increasingly inhospitable to change. The “Watergate babies” of 1974, the Contract with America conservatives of 1994, and the historic 2018 class fueled by backlash to Donald Trump all represent younger, more diverse, and less entrenched members who arrived in the capital energized and idealistic. Today, Dr. Kornberg says political violence, astronomical campaign costs, relentless fundraising demands, shrinking staff, and centralized party leadership all constrain the ability of new members to legislate and represent their constituents. Social media, while offering new platforms for political expression, has also heightened harassment and fed a…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Maya Kornberg

Topics covered

  • Congress
  • political change
  • campaign finance
  • media influence
  • political violence
  • party polarization

Keywords

  • Congress
  • political reform
  • campaign costs
  • social media
  • political violence
  • fundraising

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Brennan Center

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