Season 3, Episode 17 | Congress Underrated: Representation, Gridlock, and What We Miss

Season 3, Episode 17 | Congress Underrated: Representation, Gridlock, and What We Miss

From This Constitution by Savannah Eccles Johnston & Matthew Brogdon

April 6, 2026 · 36 min · Season 3 · Episode 17

About this episode

The episode challenges the narrative that Congress is broken by discussing its intended functions and the misconceptions surrounding gridlock.

Is Congress the most underrated institution in American government? Widely criticized for gridlock, partisanship, and dysfunction, it’s often seen as the weakest branch. But what if that frustration reflects a misunderstanding of what Congress is designed to do? In this episode of This Constitution, Matthew Brogdon sits down with Princeton professor Frances E. Lee, author of A Case for Congress, to challenge the narrative that Congress is broken. They begin by rethinking “gridlock.” While few...

People in this episode

Host: Matthew Brogdon

Guest: Frances E. Lee

Topics covered

  • Congress
  • representation
  • gridlock
  • partisanship
  • government dysfunction

Keywords

  • Congress
  • gridlock
  • partisanship
  • government
  • representation
  • Frances E. Lee
  • A Case for Congress

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Princeton

Books & works: A Case for Congress

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