The Cost of Congress ― What Americans Get for Their Money

Congressional ratings have fallen to single digits; citizens believe that Congress fails to do the things its members are publicly paid to do. What does Congress do for our dollars and how has that changed in the last fifty years?

• Sheds light on the public costs of congressional lawmaking and operations as Congress becomes increasingly polarized and perceived as unable to govern

• Reveals the significant cost of Congress' increasing use of continuing resolutions and agencies' almost semi-annual preparations for government shutdowns

• Supplements conclusions developed through data analysis and statistical modeling with in-depth interviews with former and current members and staff that provide personal stories

• Provides insight into controversial events and decisions, such as the 1995 and 2013 government shutdowns, the closure of the Office of Science and Technology, and the reallocation of some legislator salaries from discretionary to mandatory spending

Karen Kunz, DPA, is associate professor of public administration at West Virginia University.

Stavros Atsas is an administrator and doctoral candidate in the Evaluation and Measurement Program at Kent State University.