Report Card
Political scientists agree that Congress did “C”-level work in 2007, according to a survey by the University of Indiana’s Center on Congress. This represents a slight bump from its “C-minus” performance in 2006.
“Going from a C-minus to a solid C, almost a C-plus, is not a dramatic improvement, but it is a real improvement,” said Edward Carmines, director of research for the center, who added, “Competition with a president of the opposite party typically leads Congress to play a more important role in policymaking.”
To break it down, Congress did better in the areas of “carrying out effective oversight” “protecting its powers from presidential encroachment” (going from Ds to Cs).
It also improved in keeping special interests within proper bounds and maintaining high ethical standards.
Its only D this time around was in “keeping excessive partisanship in check.”
